To Heal a Wounded Elleth
by Black Lace101
Summary: ON HIATUS! A young woman who has lost one too many loved ones goes to a hollow tree to cry, and finds herself in ME, learning about her past along the way. Summary sucks, I know. Marysueish, Legomance, tenth walker. Don't like? Don't read.
1. Chapter 1: Behind Glass

**A/N: Hey everybody! As can be seen from the summary, this is a Lego-mance, and it might seem a little Mary-sueish, but I'll try to veer away from that as much as possible (although I don't see anything wrong with a Mary-sue when it's well-written). It's also a tenth-walker, so if ya don't like it, well, frankly I don't really give a flying fuck. Save your flames for someone who REALLY deserves it, spare me the aggravation, and don't read this. For those of you who DO like this sort of thing, read, review (constructive criticism is appreciated as much as positive comments) and enjoy! Oh, just something to keep in mind: This fic is influenced by the books as well as the movies, so please, if you haven't bothered to read the books, please don't send me reviews pointing out what you believe to be inaccuracies. Check the books before you nag.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, Legolas, Saelbeth, Galdor, Silinde, or any people you recognize. They belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and his affiliates...and I guess the movie producers. Donna, however, is mine, so no touchy.**

To Heal a Wounded Eleth

Chapter 1: Behind Glass

The girl looked about in wonder, taking in her new surroundings. Not long before, she had run into the woods behind her small cottage, and taken refuge in an old, hollow tree. Now, when she stepped out, the forest had changed. There were no paths, and the trees were huge, with vines cascading down. Shrubs and plants she had never seen before hid much of the forest floor from view. The tree she had just left was the only thing that remained the same.

She sat down against the tree, trying to make sense of how she had gotten here. This was not her forest. She looked south, where her cottage was. Or where her cottage would have been. As she sat, memories of the past two decades came unbidden to her minds eye, making her relive the moments as if she were in a waking dream.

* * *

She knew the forest behind her home very well, she wandered it every day after her chores were done. The cottage was built on farmland out in rural Ontario, and she was allowed to stay there for free on the condition that she worked as a farmhand. It suited her fine, the work was hard, but the family who owned the farm was very kind, and treated her like one of their own children. She had stayed with them for years, finding them after her adopted mother died, and they had become very dear to her. None more so than Jack McGuire, the man who had turned the land into a successful farming business 50 years before. When the girl had found her way there after her mother's death, Jack took her in, quickly turning into the grandfather she'd never had. 

He ran the farm with his wife, Mary, his son, Shawn, and his daughter-in-law, Lisa. The family accepted the girl quickly, and she proved to be a vital asset to Jack in keeping the farm operating smoothly. The girl had a surprising amount of knowledge for someone who looked so young, and she learned things oddly quickly. She could operate all the farm machinery, as well as repair it, and she knew how to handle every animal he raised. She knew each creature's temperament, what injuries they'd had, what illnesses they were susceptible to. She even memorized their names and serial numbers, and there were a LOT to memorize.

The girl also had a passion for art and music. She could play the guitar and the piano, as well as a rather obscure instrument called an ocarina. It fit her hands perfectly, and it was made out of some sort of dark wood. She carried it with her wherever she went. She'd had it for as long as she could remember. She could also draw and paint. When she was given a tedious task like watching sheep while they grazed, she would sit and draw the hills and fields. Sometimes when the foolish creatures took an interest in what she was doing, she would draw their faces. After a while of watching them, she could easily tell every animal apart, much to the astonishment of Shawn. The man hated sheep with a passion, and he hated watching them even more. But the girl didn't complain, watching sheep meant she didn't have to haul hay bales or pile manure.

However, Jack was already quite old when she began her life on the farm, though the way he acted one would never guess he was 71. He worked in the fields with his son and the farmhands until his joints and back just couldn't take it any more. At the age of 85, the year his wife died, he left the work of running the farm to his son and the girl, and he managed finances for several years.

At the age of 91, Jack started to become very tired. He would spend most of the day in bed. The girl became worried, she knew that he wasn't long for the world. She did not know how she would handle it. She had lost so many already.

When the time finally came and Jack passed on, she was devastated. No one could console her. Watching another loved-one die re-opened past wounds that never fully healed, some she was aware of, others she would later remember. Not wanting her adopted family to see her in such a state, she ran from them, through the fields, and into the forest behind her cottage, finally stopping at the old tree. She had always liked the tree, no one else seemed to know about it, and she liked it that way. She would go there to meditate, and listen to the sounds of the forest. Now, she went to the tree to hide; to hide from the pain, and to hide from the people who would have comforted her. She could not take it any more. She had watched too many loved ones die already. She crawled into the tree, and cried. She cried until the tears just wouldn't come any more. Then she sat in a ball, letting the grief slip into her consciousness, slowly trying to harden her heart against any more pain.

She decided then and there that she would put everyone she was close to behind glass, and she would never grieve again. It is quite amazing what one can persuade oneself to believe when one is grieving.

* * *

After waking from her strange reverie, for a moment, tears threatened to fall once again from her green eyes, but she angrily staunched the flow. _No more of this nonsense…_she thought to herself. She stood up, brushing the moss and leaves from her black leather overcoat, and began to walk south, hoping that her cottage was still there. After she walked for a while, she heard voices. They were speaking some sort of unpleasant, halting, guttural language. She actually found it disgusting. She slowed her pace, and walked silently until she could see two large figures standing a few yards off. She slipped behind one of the large trees and listened. They seemed to switch back and forth between their language and English.

" 'Ave _lat _lost _lur _mind Gorath? The _pushdug golug_ skin us if they find _urukz_ here!" said one.

"_Glob! _Me no scared of _ilid! Clog!_ Me skin _TAK _before _tak_ skin ME!" said another. This one sounded bigger, and meaner.

"Why _lat_ _wan_ come here?" said the one who had spoken before. He seemed rather nervous, though his voice sounded just as grotesque as that of the other one.

"_Shakh _Sauron _wan_ know strength of _golug!_"

"Why he no send more _urukz?_ _Golug _have _faugh! _We _mat-uuk!_ We _bagronk-ishi!" _The nervous one was now beginning to sound frantic. Then, the meaner-sounding of the two let out a terrible roar, the sound so vial the girl had to clasp her hands over her sensitive ears.

"_Nubhosh! _We be _highat _we no _mat-uuk!" _After listening to all of this, the girl decided that it was probably best to leave them to their arguing, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she looked around the tree first to get a better look at who she had been listening to. When she saw the creatures that stood only about 20 yards away, she knew immediately why the "_pushdug golug", _whatever they were, would want to skin them. They were great ugly things that stood on two legs. One of them had dark brown skin and deep scars across its face, the other had skin the shade of un-worked clay, and it had vile tumors growing on its body making it even more hideous. She could smell them from a good distance off, a vial combination of metal, dried blood, rot, and general filth. She didn't want to consider why they might reek like blood and rot.

Satisfied that these beasts, whatever they were, should probably not be messed with, she quietly started to walk in the other direction. Suddenly, however, the wind changed, blowing into her face and in the direction of the two creatures she was trying to get away from.

She heard them sniffing the air, and one of them let out another roar, causing her to yelp involuntarily and cover her ears again.

"_Skai! Ilid_ find _urukz!_ See!" cried the clay-colored beast.

"_An_ me skin _ilid! HOOWAH!" _replied the other, yelling some sort of battle cry.

With that, the two beasts came running straight at the girl, roaring loudly. She gaped at them a moment, seeing that one of them brandished an iron scimitar, and the other had a large bow. Then she finally snapped out of it, running faster than she had ever run before.

"Where the hell am I!" she cried as she ran.

The beasts let out more war cries, growing in anger as she got farther and farther away. She ran up a fallen log that laid at a slant against a large boulder, and jumped down to the ground, yelping in pain as she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, but still she kept running.

* * *

A small distance off, four elves on white horses rode through the forest, talking quietly. They suddenly heard the battle roars of orcs, and a moment later, a high-pitched yelp. The Elf who led the group turned his horse around to the direction the commotion was coming from, and urged his horse into a canter, muttering, "_Yrch!" _(Orcs)

"Legolas! _Mani naa lle umien?_" cried one of the other elves. (What are you doing?)

"_Mani lle noa?" _replied Legolas as he went in the direction of the cry (What do you think?). The other three elves went after him, hoping that he didn't go too far. Fortunately, they didn't have to. A strangely clad women tore past them at break-neck speed, with a long, black-feathered arrow protruding from her right shoulder. Legolas jumped off his horse, catching hold of her around the waist to get her to stop. She struggled in his arms, flailing about as best she could. She attempted to jab her right elbow into his ribs, but yelped in pain and went down on her knees, clutching her shoulder.

"_Mani marte a'lle?" _asked Legolas, kneeling down next to her (What happened to you?). The girl stared at him blankly, not seeming to understand.

"Legolas! _Yrch!_" cried one of the elves (Orcs). He sprang up, seeing two beastly orcs running towards them as fast as they could manage. He and one of his other companions fired arrows at the same time, striking both orcs down. He looked back to see that the girl was starting to walk away, trying to remain unnoticed.

"_Tampa!"_ Legolas called, worried for the woman's health (Wait!). He knew that orc arrows and blades would often be poisoned. He ran over to her and stood in front of her, blocking her path. The woman was small, she barely reached his chin, and her body was very slender. She had deeply tanned skin, and waist-length, dark brown hair. She looked up at him, her eyes wide with wonder, confusion and what looked like fear. Her eyes were the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. They were a very dark green, the shade of holly-leaves in winter, and a thin brown ring encircled her pupils. She seemed to be a woman of the earth through and through. She smelled like nature, a pleasant combination of evergreen, soil, and some sort of heady floral aroma that he found rather intoxicating.

"Jesus H. Murphy…you're a…you're a…you're a…" she stammered. She had an odd accent, somewhat like that of the dwarves, though not far as thick and unpleasant to the ears, and she had a rather odd way of speaking.

"An elf?" he suggested, cocking his head to the side thoughtfully. He couldn't quite tell what she was. She was rather short to be a human, and she was far too beautiful to be a dwarf.

"Th-th-that's it…wait…that's impossible…you couldn't possibly…" She seemed to be in shock. Either that or ill. "Oh man…I don't feel so good…" she leaned against a tree and rested a hand on her forehead, then ran her fingers through her hair, exposing ears that tapered into a delicate point. _She's an elf! Or at least a half-elf. _She moaned and slid down to the ground, her face going pale. Legolas darted over to her, resting a hand on her un-injured shoulder.

"My lady? You are injured, I need to remove the arrow from your shoulder," he said, his voice full of concern.

"What? What do you mean? What arrow?" She looked down at her right shoulder and made an odd wheezing noise. "SWEET JESUS! When the hell'd that happen!" Legolas stared in disbelief. Even though she was obviously distressed, the pain did not seem to affect her.

"Be still, I am going to remove it. Try not to move very much, I do not want to cause any more damage."

"Okay okay okay! Just get this thing outta me!" she cried, a look of resignation on her face. He slid her jacket off her shoulder as much as he could without moving the arrow, and saw that the point had gone all the way through. _Well, at least it will be easier to remove._ He thought as he took hold of the arrow and broke it off close to her shoulder, making the girl flinch.

"_Amin hiraetha,_" he said sympathetically (I'm sorry). She looked at him with the same blank expression she had worn the last time he had spoken to her in elvish. "Do you not speak quenya?" he asked.

"I don't even know what it is," she replied sheepishly. _Where in the world does this odd woman hail from? I shall have to ask her after this grisly wound is taken care of…_ He thought as he took hold of the arrow head and prepared to pull it out. However, they were both pleasantly surprised, the shaft of the arrow slid out smoothly after the head. The girl slipped off the long leather coat she wore and looked down at her shoulder again, going pale and wide-eyed at the sight. The whole right side of the odd tunic she wore was stained dark red. She suddenly looked as if she were going to be violently ill.

"Oh my…blood…a whole lot of blood…oh my…oh my…" With that, she swooned, and fell into his lap.

* * *

The girl woke a while later, laying on some kind of mat. It was dusk. She felt something snort into her hair, and looked up to find a white horse with grey mane sniffing her curiously.

"Ah…hello there…" she said, rubbing the animal's muzzle. The horse nickered good-naturedly, seeming to enjoy the contact. "And who might you be?"

"His name is Camthalion," replied an amused voice. She bolted up, flinching from the pain in her shoulder. She looked down at her chest and she was wearing…nothing…just cloth bandages. She looked ahead of her to see four blonde men with pointed ears, sitting around a fire, looking at her curiously. She looked down at her shirtless self, then back up at them a couple of times, then turned a few shades of red, wrapping the blanket that covered her legs around herself tightly. Thankfully, her jeans where still on.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaasssseee tell me one of you is a very masculine-looking woman?" she asked nervously. The one who sat closest to her smiled and said, "I fear not milady. But your wound needed attention." She stared at him openly for a moment. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Long, light gold hair that went down to the middle of his back, braided at the sides of his head to keep it out of his face, lightly tanned skin, and deep, sapphire blue eyes. Then she shrugged.

"Pfft. I suppose there ain't much room for modesty when one's been impaled by a pointy projectile and is bleeding profusely." She looked around for a moment. "Ah… where am I?"

"You mean you do not know?" asked the pretty man, seeming mildly surprised.

"No, no I don't."

"You are in Imladris," he said. "Come, sit by the fire." He rose to his feet along with the other three men and motioned for her to sit by him. She did as he said, carefully rising to her feet. She kept the blanket wrapped around her tightly with one hand and walked over to them. The man bowed to her, saying, "I am Legolas, son of Thranduil." He took her free hand and kissed her knuckles. She blushed slightly, then replied, "I'm…I'm Donna."

"Donna," he said thoughtfully, seeming to test the word the same way one would a fine wine, slowly rolling it about the mouth to savor the tannin before finally swallowing it. Hearing him say it filled her with a strange warmth that she'd never experienced before. "A beautiful name." She found herself smiling, but quickly forced the feeling away. _Don't even think about it. You don't even know this guy. Besides…he'll just die like everyone else…_ she thought sadly. The four men remained standing and Legolas introduced them one by one. "May I also introduce my companions? This is Saelbeth, Galdor, and Silinde." Each man bowed gracefully as his name was said, and she acknowledged each with a nod and a smile, then they all sat down. Saelbeth Galdor and Silinde talked amongst themselves in the same language Legolas had spoken to her earlier. It was odd for her to listen to. It sounded oddly familiar. It seemed to her that if she were to concentrate, and listen hard enough, she would be able to understand, but her thoughts were elsewhere at the moment.

"Imladris…Where in the world is that? How did I get here?" she murmured, not seeming to direct the question at anyone in particular.

"I was about to ask you the same question. Where do you hail from, milady?" asked Legolas.

"'Milady'? Wow, how aristocratic…Ah, I strongly suspect the name will mean nothing to you…but I come from Canada," she replied. Her mind was reeling as she tried to figure out how she could have possibly gotten to this seemingly ancient forest, and how she was going to get back. Not that she was at all sure she WANTED to go back.

"Ca-na-da?" asked Legolas, sounding the word out. He looked completely lost.

"Yup," she replied.

"'Yup'? What sort of word is that?" he asked with a smirk.

"Sorry. It's slang for 'yes'. I'll try and refrain from using slang while I'm in your presence. Ah…do you mind if I ask a few questions?" she asked.

"Of course, go ahead."

"Alright. First of all, what in the seven hells were those nasty-smelling things that shot me?" she asked, a hint of anger evident in her voice. "And why did they attack me? I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

"Those were orcs, and they attacked you because you are an elf. They are not very fond of us, and--"

"WHOA! Hold on just one minute," she cried, cutting him off. "What do you mean I'm an elf? No I'm not! Elves don't exist…well…obviously they do…but not in Canada they don't! Or if they did, then they don't any more!" She looked rather confused and flustered.

"But your ears are pointed," he replied.

"So I'm deformed! Everyone has imperfections!" she retorted fretfully.

"How old are you?" asked Legolas. He was finding her reaction rather amusing. Apparently so was Saelbeth, for he was watching with a grin on his face. But that fellow always seemed to be smiling about something.

"Ah…I'm not sure…" she replied, looking away.

"How can you not be sure?"

"Well, y'see, a while back, I lost my memory…then a woman named Rita found me and took me in. She said I looked about 17 at the time…that was…let me think…about 50 years ago…so that would make me…about 67," she said thoughtfully. "Sheesh, time sure flies…" Legolas stared at her in disbelief.

"And how much have you changed since you can remember?" he asked.

"Not a lot…I think I may have gotten a little taller, but…why don't I change? Shawn is 55, and his hair is turning grey…and he has wrinkles around his eyes…" she seemed to be talking to herself again. "Why don't I grow old and die like everyone else? Come to think of it, why didn't Shawn and Lisa ever mention anything about it? Surely they noticed that I wasn't aging…as if I weren't unsure enough about my past…" she gazed into the fire, deep in thought.

Legolas watched her for a time. She seemed so lost, so alone, but he didn't know what to say to comfort her. He wasn't at all sure there WAS anything he could say. He somehow felt responsible. She didn't seem to be able to believe that she was an elf. Either that or she just didn't want to. He sat in silence for a while himself, trying to decide the best thing to do. He and his companions were on their way to Rivendell to seek the council of Lord Elrond, so he could not do a thing for the poor woman until after his business in Rivendell was done. Then it hit him. Elrond would likely know how to help her, or at least have some idea of where her answers might lie.

"Milady?" asked Legolas, trying to get her attention. She didn't answer. Saelbeth crouched in front of her and waved a hand in front of her face.

"_Re loralya,_" he said with a smirk (She's asleep). Legolas chuckled as Saelbeth snapped his fingers and the girl jumped in surprise.

"Wha? Huh? I'm awake, I'm awake! Sheesh, I'd swear I was takin' a nap just now…" she murmured, shaking her head.

"You were. But _uuma dela, _that happens to all of us on occasion. The flames can be rather hypnotic at times," said Saelbeth with a smile (don't worry).

"Thanks for the wake-up call…that's never happened before," she replied, a sheepish grin on her face.

"_Seasamin." _With that he walked back over to Silinde and Galdor (My pleasure).

"Milady?" said Legolas again, now that she was awake.

"Yeah?"

"Ah…well…do you have anywhere to go?" he asked, unsure of how to go about telling her of Rivendell. She reminded him of a wild horse. If he did not move slowly and deliberately, she would bolt, and he might not get her back. For some reason he did not want her out of his life yet. She intrigued him.

"I guess not. I don't know how I got here in the first place, so until I figure that out, I can't go back," she replied. She didn't seem terribly concerned about it. Perhaps her life in 'Canada' as she had called it, was not very pleasant. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you see, we are headed to Rivendell, an elvish city. The Lord there is very wise, he may be able to help you. You are welcome to travel with us, if that is your desire." She furrowed her brow in thought for a moment, then replied, "Well, I can't really stay out here alone without weapons, and I don't know this forest at all…so I suppose I will go with you, as long as it isn't a problem."

"Not at all," he said with a smile. "Do you know how to ride?" She laughed good-naturedly and replied, "I spent the last 20 years on a farm. I definitely know how to ride."

The next morning, Saelbeth lent her a tunic, and they were on their way to Rivendell.

**A/N: Well, that's the first chapter. Isn't it nice and long? Sorry if it's a bit wordy, I figured I'd get as much painful character information out of the way as I could in the first chapter so that I could have fun with the conflict, angst, humor, and best of all, HACK N' SLASH ACTION! Mwahahahaha! So, anyway, don't forget to read and review. Oh, BTW, as can be seen, the title REALLY sucks, so if you have any suggestions for a better one, then e-mail me:**


	2. Chapter 2: Welcome to Rivendell

**A/N: **Hey everybody! Another chapter for you! But first, to my wonderful reviewers: **Meg Ishiro**-I'm glad you like it! Indeed, fics written in internet-chat are unbelievably annoying. Hope you like the new chapter! **Woman of Middle-Earth-**You wanted more, you got it . I'm obsessed too (and in love with Legolas and Haldir XD). Going to ME would be pretty awesome. Enjoy the new chapter! **angelsfyre1-**Thank you! I was trying to be a little bit on the poetic side with the description, to make it more interesting. I hope you like this new chapter just as much! **IwishChan-**That she does. I'm hoping to have some fun with that in future chapters. **XoGiggles-**Dude, like, glad you like it man! Love the name by the way . **Lady Keshanna of the Night**-Thank you! Hope you like the new chapter! **NataNly-**You're my longest reviewer yet! Yes, I'm afraid I can be rather picky. Thank you for the positive comments, and I'm glad you're going to keep reading! **ephona-**You review was short and sweet. Glad you're loving it. Enjoy!

Great big hugs to all of you who reviewed! I really appreciate the encouragement!

**Disclaimer: I still do not own Legolas, Saelbeth, Silinde, Galdor, or any other character you recognise. They belong to J. R. R. Tolkien, his associates, and possibly the movie producers. Donna, however, is still mine.**

Chapter 2: Welcome to Rivendell

Donna dismounted Legolas' horse gratefully, stumbling as she put pressure on her sore legs. She was stiff and chafed from riding for VERY long intervals over the past day and night. It seemed that elves didn't need to sleep as often as humans, so they only stopped for short rests every few hours for the sake of the horses.

"Are you alright milady?" asked Legolas. "You seem to be more distressed every time you dismount."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit stiff is all," she replied, walking in small circles to try and get some circulation back in her legs. It was rather comical to watch, she reminded him of the Ents, just barely bending her knees with each step.

"Are you not accustomed to riding long distances?" he asked, suddenly concerned for her. He remembered many centuries before when he went on his first expedition with his father. By the time they reached their final destination he could barely walk from the stiffness of his joints and the rawness of his thighs. He flinched inwardly at the unpleasant memory.

"Ah…not really…no. But don't worry, I can recover after we get to Rivendell. How far is it?" she asked, continuing to walk about, flinching whenever her thighs brushed together.

"Not far, if we leave soon we should reach it by mid-day. I look forward to looking upon the great city of Rivendell once again," replied Legolas, a smile on his handsome face.

"What's it like?" she asked intently. She was interested in knowing, but she was also hoping to keep him talking as long as possible so that her saddle-sores would have a chance to close before they started riding again. Saelbeth had been listening, and took the opportunity to have his say.

"Ah, dear lady, words alone cannot describe the beauty of Rivendell! It resides in a lush, green valley, with a cool, swift river that runs through the heart of the city. When the sun rises over the great wall of the valley, the light reflects off the great towers that are the House of Elrond, making the whole city glow. It is a sight to behold," he said with a warm smile. "Then there are the many gardens…They are good for the soul. Beautiful fountains whisper and splash in the background as you sit amongst the flowers and trees not known to mortal men. At night the moon and stars make the gardens even more beautiful. Ah, Rivendell! _Vanimle sila tiri." _(Your beauty shines bright.) Legolas and Donna both stared at Saelbeth, transfixed by his poetic words. Though he was rather small as elves go (but he was still taller than Donna), and his skills with sword and bow were at best mediocre, he made up for it with his skill in the spoken word.

"Wow…I can't wait to get there!" said Donna excitedly. Legolas smiled, this was the first time she had been this animated since he'd met her. It warmed his heart to see the woman excited. Normally she was rather distant, and she never spoke unless she was spoken to. It was as if she kept a barrier about her, to keep everyone at a distance. He was sure that there was more to her than met the eye. She had the eyes of a warrior, one who had seen much. At unguarded moments, when he looked into those dark green orbs, he saw sadness and terrible grief. But she never remained "open" for long. As soon as she caught him or any of the others looking in her direction, she once again shrouded herself in a veil of indifference. Whenever he tried to get her to speak of her family, she would either find some way to veer away from the subject, or become temporarily deaf until he gave up. The most creative tactic she had used so far was a combination of the two. When he'd asked about the people named Shawn and Lisa she had spoken of the night before, she replied with, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hearyou. Speaking of ears, is it true that and elf's ears are an erogenous zone?" This caused HIS ears to turn bright red, and Saelbeth to fall off his horse laughing hysterically. Silinde and Galdor just gaped at her, seeming to be shocked at her audacity. He got the idea, he didn't bother to try asking her again after that little incident.

After a few minutes rest, he got back on Camthalion, motioning for her to do the same. She approached the horse stiffly, a resigned look on her face, then she carefully raised her leg into the stirrup, doing her best to hide her pained expression as she did so. Finally with a grunt that sounded suspiciously like a disguised groan, she heaved herself up behind him. He urged his horse into a walk, and for some reason, the animal lurched forward, nearly causing the poor girl behind him to fall off. She grabbed hold of him tightly, catching him in a bear-hug that squeezed the air out of his lungs. After she was steady, she let him go.

"Ehehe…sorry 'bout that…" she said nervously.

"Think nothing of it," he coughed.

A few hours later, they reached their destination, galloping into the courtyard of the House of Elrond.

"Wow…it's so amazing…" Donna murmured as she raised herself up on her hands and threw herself over Camthalion's back, landing unsteadily on her feet about a foot behind the horse. This was her usual way of dismounting, she didn't like to wait for Legolas to get off. It aggravated her sore thighs. Camthalion took this treatment in the forest every time she did it without much complaint, but apparently she had done it one too many times, for without warning, he kicked her in the ribs with one of his hind legs, sending her skidding back several feet. Legolas let out a cry of alarm and was by her side in an instant.

"Are you alright Lady Donna?" he cried, trying to help her up. "What am I talking about? My horse just kicked you. Of course you're not!"

"Yeah…I am…" she grunted, her eyes watering. "Damnit…that really hurt…" After a moment, she slowly rose to her feet and walked around to face Camthalion. The two eyed each other for a moment. All Legolas and the other three elves could do was watch in amazement. The girl took saddle-sores and stiffness without complaint, now she had just gotten kicked in the ribs by a warhorse. Other than the fact that her face was bright red, her breathing was somewhat laboured, and her eyes were watering, she was taking it rather well. After a long staring contest, she took hold of the horse's bridal under his chin, and said in a dangerously low voice, "Boy, you're lucky you're pretty!" Camthalion nickered quietly and hung his head. He seemed to say, "I'm sorry…minor lapse in judgment." The girl looked at him a moment longer, then walked back over to Legolas, who stared at her in wonder. Her face was still bright red. He imagined that she desperately wanted to scream at the top of her lungs.

"Are you alright?" he asked in disbelief.

"As good as can be expected,"she replied between clenched teeth and hissing breaths. "But I imagine my ribs are in quite a state…" Sheturned around and lifted up the borrowed tunic she wore.

"Sweet Jesus, that mark ain't goin' away any time soon!" she exclaimed. Legolas looked at her stomach and openly cringed. A dark purple hoof-print had formed on the left side of her ribs, just above her navel, and the area around the print was turning purple as well. She let the tunic drop and said, "I'm guessing from the fact that you are using horses as a means of transportation, and that you're using swords, bows, and arrows for weapons that indoor-plumbing is non-existent. But PLEASE tell me there's a way to get hot water?"

"Oh yes, there are bathhouses throughout the city. I will show you after the horses are taken care of and Lord Elrond knows we have arrived," replied Legolas. The expression she made on hearing this reminded him of a cat. She let out a sigh of relief, her eyes went half-lidded, and she grinned contentedly. He suddenly had the urge to rub her back. Saelbeth, however, beat him to the punch.

"Legolas, we don't all need to announce ourselves. Why don't you go speak with Lord Elrond, Silinde and Galdor can take care of the horses, and I will take her to the healers? She really should have her shoulder looked at as soon as possible," he said, resting his hand on the small of her back. She went wide eyed, and looked rather flustered, as if she were fighting some sort of inner battle. Legolas found himself hoping that it was whether or not to box Saelbeth's ears. _How dare he touch her like that! _He thought angrily. He must have made a face, because Saelbeth and Donna both backed away.

"Of course if you would prefer to escort the Lady yourself?" asked Saelbeth nervously. Legolas suddenly snapped out of it, knowing that it probably would be best. He wasn't sure why he was so angry anyway.

"No, no, you're right, her wounds need attention, and I really must speak to Lord Elrond. You go ahead," he replied, handing his horse's reins to Silinde. He glanced at Donna and she looked dismayed, as if he had just given her a death sentence, but before she could say anything, Saelbeth was steering her away towards the infirmary, talking her ear off along the way.

"If I didn't know any better I would say that Saelbeth has taken a liking to that young Eleth," Silinde chuckled, watching the two walk away. Donna looked over her shoulder, glaring daggers at Legolas, causing him to wince.

"Indeed…poor girl," replied Galdor with a chuckle.

"What do you mean?" asked Legolas nervously.

"You mean to say you do not know?" asked Galdor.

"There are not many servant girls in the House of Thranduil who have not been romanced by young Saelbeth," said Silinde, grinning openly.

"WHAT? How did I not know of this?" cried Legolas, about ready to run after them.

"Well, perhaps if you spent more time at home where you belong, you would know these things!" said Galdor irritably. Without another word to either of them, Legolas ran off in the direction of Elrond's study, hoping to announce himself quickly and run to the infirmary. It was likely that the healer would not let Donna leave for quite a while anyway, bruised and broken as she was.

He reached Elrond's study and knocked on the door.

"_Uu-tulya._" (Come in) Legolas entered the study, a smile on his face. Even if he was in a rush, he was glad to see Elrond once again. The man sat at his large desk, pouring over scrolls. _Typical Elrond, always working…_Thought Legolas. Elrond looked up from his papers, and rose from his desk with a smile.

"_Aaye, _Legolas! _Nae saian luume!_" he said, embracing him good-naturedly (Hail, Legolas! It has been too long!).

"_Tancave!_" replied Legolas with a smile. (Yes!) "_Sut naa lle umien, mellonamin?_" (How are you doing, my friend?). Elrond frowned and Legolas saw worry in Lord Elrond's cold, grey eyes. "_Mani naa ta?" _(What is it?) Elrond walked back behind his desk, looking out the large round window to the valley below.

"Isildur's bane has been found." Legolas gaped at him in shock.

"After all these years? By whom?" he asked in disbelief.

"A Halfling, of all things. You remember Bilbo, I assume?"

"Of course."

"He found it 60 years ago, but it was not until recently that we were made aware of what it truly was. If we had known we would have disposed of the ring long ago. But what has been done cannot be undone. I am curious, why have you come?" he asked, turning to face Legolas.

"I have come with news. And to seek council," he replied.

"You and every free race of Middle Earth!" said Elrond with annoyance. "It seems that The Dark Lord's power is returning. I can feel it, in the pit of my stomach, growing each day."

"As do I, I fear that these are dark times we live in. What is to be done?"

"I plan to hold a secret council in two days. You and your companions shall attend." There was a knock at the door, and a messenger stepped into the room.

"I apologize for interrupting my Lords, but Lord Legolas? The healer wished me to inform you that the woman you arrived with has taken a turn for the worst, it seems the orc arrow she had been shot with was poisoned. She is unconscious."

**A/N: Dun-dun-dun! Cliff-hanger! Hoorah! Don't forget to read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Haunting Dreams, and

**A/N:** Another chapter for you all! Sorry it took a bit longer, I'm afraid a had a bit of writers-block. This chapter is rated PG-14 for brief nudity (not sexually explicit in any way). Now, to my super-fantabulous reviewers! **angelsfyre1---**You bit a horse on the ear for kicking you? What would a romance fic be without a jealous Legolas? lol. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like the new chapter! **ephona---"**holy snikies" profound words! Hope you like the new chapter! **White Wave---**I'm glad you stumbled upon my work too! Glad you like it so far! **Duvet---**Thank you! I'm glad you like it! Enjoy the new chapter! I feel loved :-D **BellaRu---**Thank you! Hope this was soon enough. **Fiona McKinnon---**Good to hear...er...read! lol. Enjoy the new chapter!

Big hugs to everyone who reviewed! Thanks everyone!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas or anyone else you recognise. Donna is mine though, so no touchy!**

Chapter 3: Haunting Dreams, and a Couple of Peeping Toms

Legolas sat in the darkened room, waiting anxiously for the girl to wake. Her wounds had been tended, and antidotes administered, but she still remained unconscious. He wondered if perhaps she might have been seriously hurt when Camthalion kicked her, but Lord Elrond had checked her himself, seeing how distressed the young prince was. He found that she had a couple of cracked ribs, huge bruises, and some raging saddle-sores, but there was no evidence of further damage. He told Legolas that it looked to him as if she was simply exhausted, and that she would wake after her body had had time to recover.

Now he sat by her bed, several hours later, watching her like a hawk for any sign of stirring. So far, the closest thing to movement was when her face became troubled, and she murmured something to the effect of, "I only eat purple monkeys, that one's yellow."

A while later, she began to stir, mumbling snips of elvish and words of a language he could not understand.

* * *

_A dark-haired adolescent stalks through the forest, wearing a sleeveless buckskin shirt and leggings. Her hair is pulled back into a long braid, exposing slightly pointed ears, and she wears a beautifully beaded necklace. She carries two daggers, a bow, and a quiver of arrows is on her back. The man in front of her motions for her to crouch beside him in the bushes. He has the same dark brown hair as the girl, pulled into a topknot at the back of his head. Oddly clad strangers step on to the land from huge ships. People like this have been arriving for a while now. They are not good to the land. They cut down trees, burn away the forest bit by bit. They carry guns, and they kill far more than they need to survive. The adolescent knocks an arrow, preparing to shoot the intruders, but the man stops her. They cannot act yet, there are too many. _

_The two return to the village, and they are greeted by a tall woman with fair hair, green eyes, pointed ears and pale skin. She embraces both of them, kissing the man deeply. She has been worried. The man goes to speak with the warriors of the village, leaving the other two alone. The woman takes the girl's hand, leading her into the longhouse. She takes a small comb crafted from bone and un-braids the girl's hair, brushing it and quietly singing a hauntingly beautiful song that only they can understand. The girl contentedly drifts in and out of sleep, quietly uttering a single word, "Naneth…"_

_All of a sudden, loud explosions are heard. People screaming. The two run outside. The strangers are there. _

"_Ada?" No answer. The adolescent runs to get her daggers and bow, but the woman stops her. She is told to flee to the hills until nightfall, she will follow when she can. They argue for a time, finally the girl runs. _

_Fire, smoke, burning, screaming, blood. Night falls, the girl returns. So much death. _

"_Naneth? Ada?" No answer. Bodies, blood, burning. "Ada? Naneth?" A foul smell, burning flesh. Voices, a language she cannot understand. She follows the sound. Men, intruders. She hides in the bushes to watch. The men drag corpses to huge fires. Dark black and brown hair, tanned skin. More and more bodies they drag. Wait, golden hair? "NANETH!" She runs out of the bushes, surprising the men. One of them fires his gun, he misses. She drops down next to the cold, lifeless form. Green eyes, which used to be filled with so much life and light, now stare dully out at nothing. She is asleep, she must be asleep. "Naneth…Naneth…Naneth…" No answer. Blood on rosy lips, golden hair stained red. Screaming, crying, grief. The girl attacks the men, screaming, yelling, thrashing. They hold her arms fast. Pain. Blackness.

* * *

_

"NANETH!" Donna screamed, jumping up. Tears streamed down her face as she frantically looked around the room, unsure of where she was. She felt arms wrap around her, and she struggled violently, still confused.

"Donna! It is I, Legolas! Calm down, you are safe!" Legolas, the kind elf who had saved her from the orcs. Her senses were bombarded with his scent. Pine, cinnamon, fresh water and musk. His scent was so calming. He smelled like the woods in autumn. The tears continued to stream down her face as she became aware of where she was, and relaxed. She began to sob, the grief from the night terror still prominent in her mind, even as the images swiftly faded away. Legolas sat down next to her, gently rocking her in his arms as she sobbed. She reached inside the nightdress she had changed into, fingering the beaded necklace she had worn for as long as she could remember.

Even after her sobbing stopped, he still held her in his arms, quietly singing a familiar, hauntingly beautiful song. Even if she could no longer understand the words, she still took comfort in the familiarity. His voice was like the wind, gentle, calming whispers. Slowly, she drifted off to sleep, clinging to him tightly, enveloped in his warmth and calming scent.

* * *

He sat silently, listening to her slow, quiet breaths. She had fallen back to sleep some time ago, but even if he'd wanted to, he couldn't get up. She had his tunic in a death-grip. But he didn't mind. She was so dainty, she fit perfectly in his arms. It felt oddly right, holding this small, mysterious woman. What had caused her to have such a terrible nightmare? She'd told him that she'd lost her memory a while back. Did forgotten memories haunt her in her dreams?

He looked down at her small form, and saw that she clung to him with one hand, and the other held a beaded necklace. The beads were made from bone, and each had an intricate design painted on it. In the middle of the necklace there hung a large fang. He slipped it out of her hand curiously, the longer he looked at the beads, the more detail he saw on them. It must have taken years to complete.

He let go of the necklace, and took her hand instead. He was surprised to see that they were rather callused. That hands of a warrior. _She is such an enigma. Perhaps she will be more willing to speak of her past after tonight…_The grip she had on his tunic began to loosen, and he slipped off the bed and laid her down, tucking her back in.

* * *

Donna groaned unhappily as the sun shone through her balcony window, hitting her in the eyes. She tried to roll over and stuff her head under the pillow, but somehow the light still got in. Sighing in defeat, she eased herself up and sat on the side of the bed, wiping the tiredness from her eyes. She stretched, and took in a deep breath, gasping when she suddenly smelled something besides her own scent. Legolas. The memories of the previous night slowly flooded back.

"Aw shit…" she muttered. She was furious with herself, not to mention embarrassed. She couldn't even remember what had caused her to start crying. She knew she'd had one of those night terrors again, but the memories would fade away as soon as she woke. The only thing that ever remained was the grief.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door, and jumped back into bed, flinching as the giant bruises on her ribs throbbed in protest from the unnecessary movement. She rolled over, with her back to the door, then someone quietly opened the door and walked in. She felt them sit on the edge of the bed, and gently roll her on to her back, unbuttoning her nightdress and checking her bruises. She involuntarily jumped and her eyes snapped open when warm hands passed over a particularly tender area. A dark-haired elf with grey eyes sat on her bed.

"You ain't the healer who took care of me last night…" she said suspiciously.

"Are not" he corrected, continuing to check her injuries.

"Whatever. Who're you?"

"I am Lord Elrond," he replied, laying the bandages back over her wounds and buttoning her nightdress back up. "I understand your name is Donna. You are quite the enigma, I have never seen an Eleth such as you."

"'Eleth'?"

"A female elf."

"I'm not an elf!" she said irritably, sitting up and cringing as more pain shot through her ribs.

"Be still! You are tender yet!" scolded Elrond. "Legolas told me you might not accept that. No matter. How is it that you came to be in Imladris? Legolas said that you were dressed rather oddly when he came across you."

"That's what I'd like to know. I remember crawling inside this big hollow tree to…well, why I did it ain't important…but when I crawled back out I was here," she explained.

"Interesting. What did this tree look like?" asked Elrond thoughtfully.

"Now that I think about it, it was kind of strange. Even though the tree was hollow, it still always had leaves on it. Even in winter. The leaves were greenish gold, and in spring it grew really beautiful blossoms. For some reason whenever I tried to show it to…people…I could never find it."

"Golden leaves? A Mallorn tree no doubt…but how could that be possible?" Elrond sat silently for some time, his brow furrowed in thought. After a time, he spoke again. "Legolas also told me the name of your homeland. It is strange to me. Does the name Middle Earth mean anything to you?"

"No," she replied. "Neither does the name Imladris. I might not be the most talented when it comes to Geography, but I think I would remember a name like Middle Earth. I don't know where I've landed myself, but it sure as hell ain't anywhere on the maps I'm used to. I don't know why I'm here, and I don't know how I'm gonna get back. In the mean time, what the heck am I supposed to do?"

"I fear that I know little of matters such as these. However, there is one person I know of who would likely know more. A secret council will be held tomorrow, and you shall attend. In the mean time, if you feel up to it, you may explore. But please, try not to sustain any more injuries! You seem to be rather accident-prone!" he said with a smile.

"Ain't that the truth," she muttered, rubbing her ribs. Elrond left to give her some privacy, and a moment later a young woman with dark hair came in carrying a simple grey robe, and an emerald green dress.

"Hello, I am Arwen," she said with a smile, laying the dress and the robe on the foot of the bed.

"I'm Donna," she replied, flinching slightly as she stood up. She wished she hadn't. Everyone she met there made her feel even shorter than she was. She guessed Arwen to be about as tall as Legolas. She could have rested her chin comfortably on the top of her head. She walked around to the foot of her bed, fingering the velvet-like material of the dress. "This is so beautiful!"

"I am glad you like it," said Arwen, beaming. "Although I am not able to take all the credit. Legolas wouldn't stop talking about how you had the most beautiful green eyes he'd ever seen. That is how I picked it for you." Donna went wide eyed.

"He said that?" she asked nervously. Arwen laughed and replied, "Indeed he did. I believe the prince of Mirkwood may be a little infatuated."

"Excuse me, PRINCE? He never mentioned that. So he's probably hitched already, or betrothed to someone, right?" she asked hopefully.

"Hitched? I am not familiar with that term…"

"Married."

"Oh! No, for some reason elf women are not fond of him. I believe it is a matter of vanity. Most elf women are very proud you see, they do not want to be seen with someone prettier than they are," said Arwen, laughing merrily. Her laugh was musical and infectious, soon they were both laughing. Finally after a while Donna had to make herself stop, her ribs were beginning to throb angrily.

"Alright, for now just put this robe on and I will take you to one of the bath houses. Then the healer will re-dress your wounds and I will help you change into this," she explained, indicating the green dress. "After that I would be happy to give you a tour."

"Baths? Yay!" said Donna happily. She changed into the robe, and Arwen escorted her to a bathhouse, leaving her to soak out the rest of the stiffness from her trip.

She had been there for a while, when suddenly she heard rather high-pitched voices just outside.

"Hey, there's heat coming from in there!"

"I'll bet it's the kitchen! Let's go in!" Donna looked around frantically for a towel, or something to cover herself, but there was nothing within reach. Finally she took a deep breath and ducked under the water, hoping that whoever was outside would go away quickly.

"Hmm…it's a bath house!"

"A bathhouse? What's that Merry?"

"This is a bathhouse!"

"What's it for?"

"Honestly Pippin, I worry about you sometimes! It's for bathing of course!"

"That water looks awfully hot!" Donna felt a small hand reach into the water and grab her foot. With that, she jumped several feet into the air, squealing in surprise.

"YOW! There was something in there…ah, Merry? Why does that elf have big googly-eyes on it's chest?" Donna stood rigid, like a deer in the headlights. The water just came up to her navel. Two little people with big fuzzy feet stood next to the bath. She looked down at her chest, and said, "They ain't THAT big…"

**A/N: Well, there's another chapter! I thought I'd finish on a funny note this time. Read, review, and wait patiently for chapter 4, for it is being made as you read!**


	4. Chapter 4: I don't need anyone!

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry I took so long with the new chapter, the week was rather hectic. I will probably only be updating once a week now. I just started a job at a dog groomers, and I fear that the work is very draining at times. Sorry about that. But anyway, to my wonderful reviewers: **ephona-** Glad you love it! Keep reading! Enjoy! **Fiona McKinnon-** I suppose it was a little messed up…but I'm glad you found it amusing J. **angelsfyre1-** Always glad to hear from you : D. I hope you enjoy the new chapter. **Duvet-** I couldn't resist throwing in an embarrassing situation XD. Hope you like the new chapter! **animebishieluver- **You're talking about the dream, right? Sad is what I was going for. Glad you like it, enjoy the new chapter! **BellaRu-** You know any situation involving Merry and Pippin is going to be hilarious XD. It might be a while before you figure out who the dudes with the guns were. I'm trying to decide whether to throw in some more hints before all is revealed. Either way, enjoy the new chapter! **IwishChan-** Sorry, no slapping this time. But don't worry, our Donna is going to open up a can of whoop-ass soon. Probably next chapter.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas (unfortunately XD) or any other character you recognize. They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien. Donna, however, is still and will always be mine. **

Chapter 4: I don't need anyone!

Donna sat in the library, looking through books and humming quietly. After the little incident with the hobbits, all she wanted to do was be alone somewhere quiet. Arwen gave her a quick tour, so that she wouldn't get lost, then took her to the library, and there she stayed for the rest of the afternoon.

There were very few books there that she could actually read, but the illustrations in many of them were beautiful. As she sat, she suddenly heard the door open. _Aw shit…_She sat still, not bothering to turn around. Hopefully it would just be some elf after a book, and they wouldn't bother to say anything beyond a greeting and a goodbye.

Unfortunately, as they got closer, her sensitive nose picked up a whiff of pine and cinnamon. _Double shit. Anyone but him…_She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she looked up the see the smiling face of Legolas. She returned the smile as best she could, and said, "Uh…hi Legolas…how's it hangin'?" He stared at her blankly. "Ah, in other words, how are you?"

"Oh! Very good, and yourself?"

"Well, I had a rather embarrassing encounter with some hobbits earlier, but other then that I'm fine," she replied, closing her book.

"Embarrassing encounter?" he asked curiously.

"Don't ask."

"Alright then…that dress suits you perfectly. It brings out the colour in your eyes," he said with a smile. She turned away and blushed, remembering her conversation with Arwen. _All elves are charming, all elves are charming, all elves are charming…_she chanted mentally. In her short time there, she had discovered that all the elves seemed to be devastatingly beautiful. Unfortunately, for some reason she found it very difficult to resist the charms of Legolas.

He sat down next to her, far too close for her comfort, and glanced at the book she had been looking at.

"I thought you said you didn't know elvish," he said, looking at her questioningly.

"I don't, but the illustrations are beautiful. Wow, did that sound as stupid to you as it did to me?"

"No. Perhaps I could teach you some elvish," he replied, smiling at her again. _Damn that charming smile…and those pretty blue eyes…and that tight, muscular…OH MY GOD! SNAP OUT OF IT YOU BRAIN-DEAD SLUT!_ "My lady…are you alright?"

"Wha? Oh cripes, sorry about that. I guess I'm still a bit fuzzy-headed from the herbs they gave me yesterday. What were you saying?"

"Never mind. How is your shoulder?" he asked with concern.

"Fine. It doesn't really hurt unless I do a lot of moving…and what the hell are you doing?" she cried, jumping up. He had started to rub her back in a slightly suggestive manner. He looked hurt to some extent as he stood up after her and replied, "Forgive me…I just thought that after last night you might have allowed me to get closer to you." Her mind reeled as she tried to think of some way to discourage him. Finally, not being able to think of anything better, she decided to play dumb.

"And what, dare I ask, happened last night that would make it alright for a complete stranger to get that friendly with me?" she asked, doing her best to glare at him angrily.

"You do not remember?"

"Obviously not!"

"You were having some sort of terrible dream, and you woke in tears…I held you close as you wept…you fell asleep in my arms. You would not let go of me for some time…but I did not mind…I would have stayed with you all night," he said, looking more and more like a slapped puppy with every passing moment. It made her feel like scum, being so cruel and dishonest to him. He had been nothing but gentle and compassionate to her. But she couldn't bring herself to let him in, she believed that he would die like everyone else she had let herself love.

"Well, I'm sorry but I don't remember. What d'you expect? I was probably delirious. It sure as hell don't sound like somethin' I'd do in a HEALTHY state of mind, that's for sure!" she said, the Ottawa Valley accent she had picked up over the years becoming thicker as she grew more aggravated. "Look, I ain't sayin' it didn't happen. The latest thing I can remember from yesterday was when that healer started probing my bad shoulder. Everything after that's a blur. But even if I did have a nasty dream and started bawlin', it don't change nothin'. I don't know you, and you sure as hell don't know me." With that, she turned her back on him and stormed out of the library as quickly as she could manage wearing a long dress.

* * *

Legolas stared at the door long after she had left. _Well Legolas, you have done it now…_he thought angrily. Any trust he had managed to gain from the enigmatic Donna was likely lost to him. _Does she really remember nothing of what happened ? _He found it difficult to believe. He would not likely ever forget the tender moment he had shared with her. She seemed so lost, so torn. One moment she would be friendly and good natured, the next she would be snappish and evasive. It was almost as if she were afraid. She seemed to be friendly until he got too close, or tried to get her to speak of her family, or her past. _What does she fear?_ He sat in the library and pondered this for some time. 

A while later, he was joined by Arwen.

"Where is Donna? Father asked me to bring her to the Dinning Hall."

"I fear that I scared her off," Legolas muttered guiltily.

"How did you manage that? From what I could gather, she seemed rather fond of you."

"I am not sure. She reminds me very much of a wild horse…I think I tried to get too close too soon," he replied.

"You noticed that as well? I asked Father about her…he said that her wounds go deeper than flesh and bone. But he would say no more. I suppose that is all he knows. Emotional wounds are far more difficult to heal than physical ones. It takes a certain skill, one that Father does not posses. If she could be persuaded to journey to Lorien, it is likely that Grandmother could give her much help," said Arwen thoughtfully.

"But that is a very large 'if'. The lady Donna is very strong-willed. She has been agreeable enough thus far, but if one were to attempt to persuade her to do something when she did not have the inclination, she could prove to be rather stubborn. Saelbeth took a great risk when we first arrived. He got very…ah…shall we say, friendly? If she had not just been kicked by a warhorse, it is likely that he would have soon been in a worse state than she was. She certainly did not appreciate my advances."

"Well, in any case, she will attend the council tomorrow. Perhaps Gandalf will know more of her. See you at the banquet," she said, leaving the library to search for her charge.

* * *

Donna paced about her room, muttering to herself as she tried to gather her thoughts. She was torn between being outraged at Legolas for being so bold, at herself for being so brutally cruel and dishonest, and at whatever force of nature that had caused her to come to this odd world in the first place. It seemed she had a lot to be outraged about. 

Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door.

"Bugger-off Legolas, I ain't done being pissed at you yet!" she yelled at the door, turning her back to it.

"It's not Legolas, it is Arwen. May I come in?"

"Yeah." Arwen entered, a worried look on her face.

"So, I take it you and Legolas had a falling out?" she asked.

"There was never anything to fall out of! Though I guess he'd like to think there is. Don't get me wrong, he's a top notch guy, a little forward and presumptuous maybe, but top notch. But appealing as a fairy-tale life with an elf prince might be, I don't want anything to do with him or anyone else romantically. I don't need anyone. Oh look, I've said too much," Donna muttered, slapping herself on the forehead.

"Why do not want to be loved?" asked Arwen, a look of pity playing on her delicate features.

"Forget it. I don't wanna talk about it. Did you need something?" she replied, desperately trying to change the subject. Arwen shook her head, the look of pity becoming more and more prominent. _What happened to this girl to make her so afraid of love?_ She thought.

"Ah, Father asked me to show you to the banquet hall, dinner will be served soon."

"Oh, alright then. I am getting a bit hungry," replied Donna, walking out of her room, straight into Legolas. "OOF! Sorry about…aw shit." Legolas looked down at her, a hopeful expression on his face. A man with dark hair and a close-shaven beard stood next to him, dressed in a very dark green and black tunic.

"Lady Arwen said that she was going to show you to the banquet hall, but Aragorn wished to escort the lady," Legolas explained, indicating the dark-haired man. He nodded at Donna good naturedly.

"My lady," he said, kissing her knuckles.

"Pleasure," she replied, dipping into the curtsy Arwen had taught her. Aragorn smiled affectionately at Arwen, and offered her his arm, which she took with a bright smile. Donna couldn't help smiling at the couple. They looked so right together. They looked so happy. She longed to have what they had, but it seemed that fate had a different path for her to take. One of loneliness. For she believed that to love her was the kiss of death.

"It is not suitable for a lady to arrive at a banquet unescorted, may I have the honor?" asked Legolas, a look of naivety and hope on his flawless face. _Damn, he just never gives up, does he? Aw shit…he knows how to work those eyes…ah, what the hell? Letting him escort me can't hurt._

"Ah, what the hell. You can escort me. The last thing I need is a hall full of people gawking at me because I'm not latched on to anybody. But pull anything like you did earlier, and I'll slap ya!" she said, attempting to sound threatening. She was finding it very difficult to stay angry, and judging from the ear-to-pointy-ear grin that Legolas wore, her threat was not very effective.

"I promise, my hands shall never come in contact with you after you are seated, and my eyes will go no lower than your face," he said, offering her his arm good-naturedly. She smiled at him and took it.

"Good. Now lets go, I'm starving!" Legolas beamed, glad to see that the girl held no animosity towards him for his actions in the library. He would not risk doing something so bold again for some time. He would keep the conversation with her light and inconsequential, and perhaps she would speak more willingly of herself after she saw that he would not try and rush her.

He still could not quite figure out why he wanted this strange girl in his life so badly. She could have a foul mouth at times, she was built like a pre-pubescent child, and her personality was dangerously erratic. But it seemed to him that there were many things about her that he had yet to see. And small as she was, she was beautiful. From her deep tan-colored skin to her evergreen eyes, she was a woman of the earth, and that appealed to him.

They reached the dinning hall, and many people were already seated. They looked up as the two entered, and looked curiously at the dark girl onLegolas' arm.

"Aw fuck-berries…they're gawkin' at me even WITH an escort…" she muttered under her breath. He patted her hand sympathetically, fighting back the laughter that threatened to come from hearing her odd expression, and replied, "Do not worry, at least you are not alone."

"Yeah, at least they're staring at you too," she said with a smirk. He chuckled and saw two empty seats, pulling out a chair for her then sitting down himself.

The food soon arrived, and they dug in. He glanced at her curiously, she seemed to hesitate before putting meat on her plate.

"Is there something wrong Milady?" he asked.

"No, nothing. Just remembering something is all. The farm I used to live at…we basically ate what we grew and raised ourselves…I could never bring myself to eat any of the meat because I'd watched the beasts grow from birth. But hey, I didn't know this…uh…rabbit," she said, taking a bite of the meat.

"Well, that makes sense. I do not know if I would be able to eat something I had raised either. Except for maybe cows…they hate me…" he said sheepishly.

"What happened? Get gored by a bull?" she asked, glancing at him as she took a sip of wine.

"Yes," he replied, wincing at the memory. "I was only about 13 at the time."

"Jeeze, you were barely out of the crib!" she cried sympathetically. "The same thing happened to me a few years ago. I was 60. Or at least I think I was. I could have been older. Could have been younger. Don't matter. How old are you anyway?"

"Let me think for a moment…the years go by so quickly, it is hard to keep track…" he said, looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "I believe I am 2931." Donna gaped at him openly.

"2931?" she asked, a comical expression of disbelief on her face.

"Well, give or take a few years, yes," replied Legolas with a smile.

"Wholly crap. You're ancient!" she exclaimed.

"Hardly. I am rather young as far as elves are concerned," he replied, smirking.

"Well, there's my shock for the evening," she said with a laugh. She finished her meal, and was about to get up and go outside. She felt like playing her ocarina. Then it hit her, what had they done with her bloody jacket? She imagined that they had probably thrown it away. Blood and leather don't mix. The leather had melted beyond repair by the time she had removed it. She just hoped they had checked the pockets before disposing of it. "Ah, Legolas?"

"Yes Milady?"

"You know that leather trench coat I was wearing when we met?"

"Yes. Is that what you call it?"

"Yup. Do you have any idea what happened to it?"

"It was rather odd, the right shoulder and sleeve fell apart. I didn't see much point in keeping it, it was ruined, so Silinde disposed of it. Oh! That reminds me, I have something that belongs to you," he said, reaching into a pouch that hung on his side and handing her something wrapped in cloth. She unwrapped it and with relief, saw that it was her ocarina.

"Phew, thanks. I was worried it was lost," she said with a relieved smile.

"No problem at all. It looked as if it might be of some value to you. What is it, anyway?"

"It's an ocarina. I've had it for as long as I can remember. Anyway, I'll see you later." With that, she went back to her room and changed back into her jeans, and put on the tunic she had worn the day before. Saelbeth said that she could keep it. After she had changed, she went outside to one of the gardens. It was even more beautiful than Saelbeth had described. The place made her feel so calm and serene, she felt inspired. So she climbed up into a tall old tree, and began to play a sweet, gentle melody, making it up as she went along. Little did she know, she was not alone in the garden. Someone sat in a shadowed corner, listening contentedly as she played.

A while later, she stopped, then cursed herself for not having a pad of paper and a pen with her. It was unlikely that she would remember the song she had just made.

"That was beautiful." She jumped in surprise, nearly falling out of the tree. She looked down, and saw someone stood at the bottom of the tree, looking up at her with a look of curiosity on their face.

**A/N:** There. Done. For now. Sorry if it was wordy, I was having trouble coming up with stuff to make it long enough. So, who's the person who nearly caused our heroin to fall to her doom (XD)? Find out next time! The next chapter will be better, I promise. Don't forget to read and review!


	5. Chapter 5: Jealous Elf

**A/N: **Finally, I got it done! A bit of writers-block again. I need to get a muse, anyone have a suggestion? Anyway, to my wonderful, fantastic reviewers: **Fiona McKinnon-** Thank you! And I'm glad that you're glad that I'm glad you found it amusing XD. **angelsfyre1-**You will soon see that that will not be the last time Leggy screws up! Actually originally I was going to have the mystery listener be Aragorn, but it occurred to me that one of the people you suggested would make more sense. For that I thank you! Enjoy the new chapter, this one's for you! **Duvet-**I updated! I updated! I updated! lol Enjoy! **Shero-**Thank you! Enjoy the new chapter! **LilyandJamesforever-** Guten tag! You gave me the longest review yet! Thank you for the advice. I hate it when people make their OC's flawless. In Donna's case, so far she's built like an eleven-year-old boy, and some rather comical personality quirks will show themselves later on. In chapters soon to come, she will prove to have some skills that will seem a bit suspicious at the time, but please don't let it turn you off, everything will be explained later on in the story. And about the Bush thing: Don't worry about it. I'm Canadian, and I hate the bugger!

Great big hugs to everyone who reviewed, and everyone who's reading! Enjoy! Oh, BTW, sorry for the two A/N's that show up in the fic. I put them in italics so you can skip them. They're just there so that I don't get my booty sued.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas, Lindir, or any other character you recognise. They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and his associates. Pieces of songs and dialogue used from pages 230-231 of The Fellowship of the Ring. Though I may have changed them around slightly, I do not claim that these are my work. Dialougue and songs from the book marked with brakets. These things: ( ).**

Chapter 5: Jealous Elf

"Sweet Jesus! You scared me!" Donna said irritably, glaring at the richly clad man who stood on the ground below her.

"Forgive me, milady. I did not mean to frighten you," he said ruefully. She couldn't help smiling. He was a large man, with broad shoulders and strawberry-blonde hair. He reminded her of the Percheron work-horses Jack used to keep. At first glance they were rather intimidating, big and muscular as they were, but spend a short time with them and one soon saw that they were just big softies.

"Aw, forget about it. No harm done. Who are you anyway? You're no elf," said Donna.

"I am B---would it be too bold to request that you join me here? It is improper for a man to raise his voice at a lady!" said the man, obviously more concerned for her safety than what was considered improper.

"Alright then, watch yourself. I don't wanna jump on ya." She climbed down a few branches and jumped the last six feet, thinking that it wasn't very high. In truth, for her, it wasn't, but when recovering from saddle-sores, even jumping the last couple of steps on the stairs is too high. She went wide-eyed, and said, "Oooooh DAMN that hurt…" She limped over the a near-by bench.

"Are you alright milady? Did you pull a muscle? That was a rather high leap…" said the man worriedly, following her closely.

"Don't worry, I'm fine…" she said tensely. "I just got hurt on my way here, so I'm a bit tender."

"I am sorry to hear that," said the man sympathetically. "Oh, I am Boromir, son of Denethor." He bowed deeply and kissed her knuckles, much to her surprise.

"Pleased to meet you." She sat down, and he did the same. _I'll never get used to that hand-kissing thing… _"I'm Donna."

"How were you injured, if you do not mind my asking?" asked Boromir curiously. She smirked inwardly. He didn't seem very confident. At least not when in the presence of women. She imagined he was very cocky when around men.

"I got shot, I rode for too long, and I got kicked by a horse. A BIG horse."

"But you're still in one piece! You are hardy for one so small!" said Boromir with surprise. Then he blushed and added, "Forgive me for being so indiscreet…" She smiled, chuckling, despite herself. She liked this Boromir fellow. He reminded her of Shawn. He was middle aged, looking to be in his early forties. In truth, she was likely a couple of decades older than him, but she appeared to be several decades younger. She thought that it would be safe to be friendly with this man without having to worry about him developing any romantic feelings for her. Not that she could understand why anyone would fall for her anyway.

"Where do you hail from, milady? I have not seen clothing such as yours before," he asked.

"Ah…overseas. The name of the country would mean nothing to you," said Donna, not feeling like discussing her situation with him.

"That would explain your accent. What brings you to Rivendell?"

"I was shanghaied here by a trio of Wood elves," replied Donna with a smirk. Boromir stared at her blankly. "I came here to see Elrond…er…I mean LORD Elrond. I have a small problem with no obvious solution, at least no solution Lord Elrond can see, so instead I'm going to some sort of council tomorrow and apparently there's someone there who might be able to help me."

"Ah, then we are here on common purpose! Perhaps you would like an escort to the council?" he asked with a shy smile.

"Sure, why not?" she answered. She didn't see any harm in going with him. "You can protect me from the stubborn elf who's taken a liking to me."

"You do not return this elf's affections?" he asked with mild surprise.

"That I don't," she replied jadedly. "Speak of the devil." With that, Legolas entered the garden, and she stood up as he approached. She noticed that Legolas was trying very hard to hide a glare as he saw Boromir sitting at the same bench as her. He was not doing a very good job of it.

"I have been looking everywhere for you!" said Legolas. "I thought that you might like to see the Hall of Fire."

"The Hall of Fire?"

"It is at most times a quiet fire-lit place where one may go for peace and quiet. But with so many people here, from all the corners of Middle Earth, tonight it is a place where many songs shall be sung, and fables told," said the elf.

"Songs?" asked Donna, her eyes lighting up. Legolas smiled and nodded, then glanced again at Boromir, and with narrowed eyes, asked, "Who is this?"

"Boromir of Gondor," answered Boromir, extending his hand good-naturedly. Legolas only gave him a minimally correct nod.

"I am Legolas Greenleaf, of the Mirkwood Realm," he said coolly. Donna was disgusted. He was being unbelievably rude. "Milady, would you care to join me?" _Not while you're being such a giant ass,_ she thought irritably. But she suspected that she would regret it if she refused. Not wanting him to make a scene, she nodded the affirmative and as they walked away, cast an apologetic look over her shoulder at a bemused Boromir. He gave her a look of sympathy in answer and waved goodbye.

* * *

Legolas watched Donna from a distance as she spoke with the Halflings. After escorting her to the Hall of Fire, she had run off, and all his attempts at conversation with her were thwarted with a shushing gesture or temporary deafness. He suspected that she was probably angry with him for being rude to the Gondorian, but he felt justified in his actions. The man had beentalking to Donna! And she seemed to be enjoying the conversation. She couldn't have known the man for more than an hour at the most, and yet she looked to be in deep conversation with him when he first saw them. He had known her for nearly a week and he still had to work just to get her attention. She seemed to know two of the Hobbits, although at first she was reluctant to speak with them. He remembered her mentioning having an embarrassing incident involving some hobbits, he suspected that they might have been the ones she spoke of. But when they noticed her, they waved and soon she was speaking with them as if they were old friends. He wondered why he seemed to be the only one she could or would not warm up to. He knew that he had done a few things that did not earn him any respect from the woman, but before they had arrived at Rivendell, he had done nothing that would warrant her frosty treatment. 

He sat against a pillar, sulking noticeably, when he was joined by Aragorn.

"_Sut naa lle umien, Mellonamin?_" said the Ranger, resting a hand on his shoulder (How are you doing, my friend?).

"Terribly! I have managed to incur her silent wrath once again!" cried the Price, throwing his arms up in frustration. The Ranger did not need to ask of whom he spoke. Legolas had not stopped speaking of the mysterious Elleth since they had run into each other in one of the gardens. From what he could gather, Legolas was obviously infatuated with the woman, she wanted nothing to do with him, at least not romantically, and since arriving in Rivendell, Legolas could not spend ten minutes with the girl without doing something to offend her. He actually found it rather amusing, but he would not dare show it with his old friend in the state that he was.

"Again? Did you not just resolve a conflict with her?" asked Aragorn.

"Yes," replied the Elf ruefully.

"What did you do this time?"

"Well, I saw her speaking with a Gondorian…and I was rather rude towards him. I do not think she was at all impressed with my behavior," he said guiltily.

"Did it look as if she were being wooed by the man?" asked Aragorn suspiciously.

"Not exactly…no…they just seemed to be having a conversation…the lady Donna does not seem the type to be wooed by one she has just met," replied the Elf, hanging his head forlornly.

"Well then! I believe the girl has a right to be angry with you! She was probably appalled and embarrassed by your behavior," scolded Aragorn.

"What should I do?" asked Legolas, gazing mournfully over at the dark-haired Elleth. If she knew that he watched her, she ignored him completely.

"If I were you, I would apologize as soon as possible. Perhaps if your apology is profound enough you will be able to salvage any shreds of respect she may have left for you," replied the Ranger, bidding him farewell and going over to speak with the oldest Hobbit in the group, the one named Bilbo, the only one Legolas knew. Aragorn was greeted warmly by all the Hobbits, especially Bilbo and a younger, dark-haired one who he understood to go by the name of Frodo. Donna smiled at Aragorn and said hello, then Aragorn and Bilbo went off to a corner to finish a song Bilbo had been working on.

Legolas noted with mild surprise that the girl seemed to absolutely adore music. Between songs, she would ask the Elven minstrels many questions about their instruments, and they gladly answered her questions, surprised and pleased by her enthusiasm. She seemed to have much knowledge of music in all its forms. When she listened to Elves sing, her dark green eyes would twinkle with unhidden glee. Even if she wasn't speaking to him, it pleased him to see the woman so happy.

A while later, Bilbo stood up on a bench and called for everyone's attention.

"I have a song for you all! And a small challenge! You must try and guess which parts of the song are mine, and which parts are the Duunadan's!" The Elves listened intently as he sang his song of Earendil. Donna included. She seemed utterly fascinated.

("…And over Middle Earth he passed

And heard at last the weeping shore

Of women and of elven-maids

In Elder Days, in years of yore.

But on him mighty doom was laid

Till Moon should fade, an orbed star

To pass, and tarry never more

On Hither Shores where mortals are;

For ever shill a herald on

An errand that should never rest

To bear his shining lamp afar,

The Flammifer of Westernesse.")

Donna stood transfixed by the words, and was only brought back to reality when an Elf said, ("Now we had better hear it again.")

(Bilbo bowed and replied, "I am flattered Lindir, but it would be too tiring to repeat it all." The Elves laughed, their eyes dancing with mirth, and they answered, "Not too tiring for you! You know you are never tired of reciting your own verses. But really we cannot answer your question at one hearing!") _(A/N: I altered this slightly, but it's still not mine.)_

("What!" cried Bilbo. "You can't tell which parts are mine, and which parts were the Duunadan's?") Donna laughed at this, finding the expression on the old Hobbit's face greatly amusing.

("It is not easy for us to tell the difference between two mortals," said the Elf.)

("Nonsense Lindir," snorted Bilbo, "If you can't distinguish between a Man and a Hobbit, your judgment is poorer than I imagined. They're as different as peas and apples.")

("Maybe. To sheep other sheep no doubt appear different," laughed Lindir. "Or to shepherds. But Mortals have not been our study. We have other business.")

("I won't argue with you," said Bilbo. "I am sleepy after so much music and singing. I'll leave you to your guess if you want to.") Bilbo and Frodo went off by themselves, talking quietly. Donna laughed, the Hobbits were pleasant little creatures. She scolded herself however, for if she were not careful she would undoubtedly grow attached to them. Aragorn walked over to her and smiled good naturedly.

"Did you enjoy the song, my lady?" he asked.

"That I did!" she replied, smiling. "What parts were yours?" Aragorn laughed and replied, ("Actually all of it was Bilbo's, I just insisted that he put in a green stone. Personally I think the whole thing to be above his head, he demonstrated great cheek singing of Earendil in the house of Elrond.") _(A/N: Bilbo and Frodo had a very similar conversation in the book, so I'm not taking credit)_

"Well, it was an interesting song for me anyway, I learned a few things," she said, laughing.

"Why have we not heard you sing any verses this evening, milady?" asked Aragorn.

"I don't sing."

"Why not?"

"I have my reasons," she stated simply. Aragorn took the hint, knowing the undertone in her voice meant that the topic was closed. He had used the tone often enough.

"On an unrelated topic, just how angry are you with Legolas?" he asked with a smirk. She stared at him for a moment, then looked around, catching Legolas hovering a few yards away, sitting against a pillar, gazing at her longingly. She sighed jadedly and replied, "Angry enough. How much did he tell you of what happened?"

"He said that he saw you speaking with a Gondorian, and that he was not as polite to him as he should have been," replied Aragorn. Donna snorted and said, "That's putting it lightly. He was the biggest---" Aragorn raised his hand to ward off the impending stream of curses he suspected was about to come forth from the small, dark woman.

"No need for vulgarities milady."

"Sorry."

"Think nothing of it. Allow me to apologize on his behalf, he can be rather impulsive at times. When it comes to acting correctly around woman, he has all the tact of a young stag in heat." At that moment a flustered Legolas stormed over and spluttered indignantly, "My ears do more than frame my face you know!" Donna covered her mouth and nose, trying to stop herself from laughing. The sight of Legolas in such a state was absolutely adorable. His cheeks and ears had turned a light shade of pink, and his sapphire eyes burned brightly with ire. Between snorts and giggles, Donna managed to choke out, "Please excuse me…I…I need to…check something…" and ran off in the other direction.

**A/N: There, another chapter. I'm hoping to get another one posted by tomorrow, possibly by tonight if I can keep inspired. Remember, any dialogue marked withbraketsis not my original work. sticks her tongue out at mean lawyers Nya nya! Ya can't sue me! Don't forget to review, that makes me work better and faster grin.**


	6. The Council, and the Mark of Infinity

**A/N: **Hoorah! I got a new chapter up! And only a day later than I planned! Yay! Anyway, to my wonderful reviewers: **angelsfyre1---**You were my first reviewer for chapter five! And what a great review :-). I appreciate your support! ((hugs)) I hope this next chapter meets up with your expectations! **Fiona McKinnon---**I'm happy you liked it :-), enjoy the new chapter! **animebishieluver---**Hehehe, I like making people laugh :-). Thank you for the support! **Shero---**Indeed, Legolas has DEFINITELY taking a liking to Donna, though it's taking him a while to figure out why. His protectiveness will prove to be helpful in this chapter. Enjoy! **Sirius-strider---**Glad it made you laugh :-). I like a fic to be well-rounded. Enjoy the new chapter! **Nasuada Moon---**Thank you! You couldn't have said it better :-). And hey, you reviewed! I'll give you all the cookies you want! ((gives her the key to the Mr. Christie bakery)) That should last ya! lol. **Elvnchic9---**Thank you :-). I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with myself when that came to mind. Unfortunately I can't take full credit for the quote. You can thank Piccolo from Dragonball Z for that one. Fit the situation pretty good though! Enjoy the new chapter! **"the orange munch-munch!"---**Wow, my first flammer, I feel so special XD. **Lady Keshanna of the Night---**No big deal, that's why I allow anonymous reviews. Thank you very much! Enjoy the new chapter!**immortalwizardpirateelf-fan---**Yow! Your name's a mouthful XD. Cool! Yes, this is a Legolas+OC fic. It was Aragorn's plan all along to get Legolas flusterd, knowing that seeing him embarrassed and angry was a hilarious sight to behold. He decided to take a fall for his friend in order to get him back on Donna's good side. That Aragorn is one tricksy devil! He isn't the Chief of the Duunadain for nothing after all ;-). **Elven Stranger---**You lucked out! I got your review just when I was getting ready to post this! Thank you very much! A little hyper are we? lol. Enjoy!

Sheesh, everything about this chapter's long! Even the authors note! Sorry if this chapter's a bit wordy, I think I cut it down as much as I could. If you read about the council in the book, then you know why this chapter is as long as it is. I would have used the council scene from the movie, but I didn't feel like trying to get the dialogue from the movie right, getting the stuff from the book was easier in the long run. Sorry if there are some spelling errors or words bunched together, I had to post this in a rush. I'll read it over tomorrow evening and fix whatever I find.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas or any other character you recognize, they are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien and his associates. The dialogue marked with brakets: ( ) is taken from Chapter 14 of The Fellowship of the Ring. I do not claim to be the original author of that dialogue.**

Chapter 6: The Council, and the Mark of Infinity

Donna sat next to Boromir, waiting for the council to start. She wore a flowing, wine red dress of varying shades with gold trim and embroidery. Her hair was down, as usual. No one could talk her into putting it up. She was steadily growing more tense with every passing moment. People kept looking at her, and she hated being the centre of attention. Also, she felt a strange uneasiness. It seemed to emanate from Frodo. It was odd, the previous night she felt perfectly normal in his presence, now she found herself wanting to get away from him. She couldn't understand it at all.

They were eventually joined by two short, thickset, hairy men with very long, thick beards. One of them looked rather old, and had grey hair, and he had to keep his beard tucked in his belt to keep it from brushing the floor. The other looked younger and his hair was red. His beard was shorter, hanging down to his groin. He gave her a dirty look when he passed. Her unpredictable temper flared and she gave him a dirty look of her own, adding a charming little gesture for good measure. _Take a picture, it lasts longer!_

Boromir noticed the exchange and whispered, "They are Dwarfs, pay them no mind. Their beliefs on where women belong are rather ridged, and the fact that you look like an elf does not help."

"Ah. I see. Well, where I come from, if a male gives a lady a dirty look, she gives him one right back, and if she's in a mighty bad mood, she kicks his sorry ass!" she snarled quietly. Boromir was taken aback by her brusqueness, but said nothing. It was quite obvious to him that she was stressed. He looked about, and caught the aloof fellow who had whisked Donna away so swiftly the night before was glaring at him again. He had begrudgingly apologized for his rude behavior the night before, most likely because of the girl's influence, but he seemed to be constantly watching them, and every once in a while when he spoke to Donna, the Elf would cast a frosty glare in his direction.

"Are you aware that your friend is watching you very closely?" whispered Boromir. Legolas glared daggers at him, and he shuddered, looking about for a place to escape the Elf's angry gaze.

"That I am. Don't bother whispering. He's got hearing like a bat." Boromir did a double-take and stared at her in dismay. "Don't worry about it. He's just jealous. I suppose he thinks I like you better than him." She glanced over at him and he was obviously sulking, though he tried to make it look as if he were just bored. He glanced at her and then looked away quickly when he saw that she was watching him. _My god, how old are you? Ten? _She cast him and look and said, "Stop eaves-dropping." He promptly sat upright and got into a conversation with Saelbeth and Galdor.

"Forgive my bluntness, my lady, but I believe that he thinks me a threat in his endeavors to win your heart," said Boromir pensively.

"Well DUH. Why he's so adamant about winning me over, I haven't the faintest idea. It's not as if I'm a fine specimen. I wish he'd…oop, I think the council's about to start. FINALLY. We'll have to continue this conversation later. Preferably when I'm in a better mood."

Lord Elrond stood and greeted everyone, introducing those that were not familiar with one another. Donna soon found that the red-haired Dwarf was named Gimli. The two glared at each other as they were introduced, and at that moment, they marked each other as sworn enemies. It would lead to some interesting situations in the days and weeks to come.

For some time, they spoke of what went on in "the world outside" as Lord Elrond put it. Then, for a long while the Dwarves spoke of a vile messenger who came to their land from a place called Mordor, seeking to find a ring that was stolen from his Lord Sauron. Donna had no idea what they spoke of, but she hadn't the heart to ask, and she suspected that she was probably happier NOT knowing. Besides which, the feeling of unease was steadily growing, it was as if she were sitting in an oven, and the heat was slowly rising. It took all of her concentration to keep from bolting. _Now I wish I'd sat beside Legolas…his scent is so comforting…ACK! BAD THOUGHTS! STUPID DONNA! _The Dwarf named Gloin finished his tale.

("…And so I have been sent at last by Dain to warn Bilbo that his is sought by the Enemy, and to learn, if may be, why he desired this ring, this least of rings. Also we crave the advice of Elrond. For the Shadow grows and draws nearer. We discover that messengers have come also to King Brand in Dale, and that he is afraid. We fear that he may yield. Already war is gathering on his eastern borders. If we make no answer, the Enemy may move Men of his rule to assail Kind Brand, and Dain also.")

("You have done well to come," said Elrond. "You will hear today all that you need in order to understand the purposes of the Enemy. There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it. But you do not stand alone. You will learn that your trouble is but part of the trouble of all the western world. The Ring! What shall we do with the Ring, the least of rings, the trifle that Sauron fancies? That is the doom that we must deem.

"That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands. You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find council for the peril of the world.")

Donna sat, completely shocked by what she heard. She tried to reason her way out of it, thinking that perhaps he meant the others, and not her. Elrond looked to her, seeing her look of doubt, and said, "Yes, even you, lady Donna. You who come from a time and world different from our own. You who seek only to know how you came to be here. Somehow your fate is tied to the ring as well, though I know not how. Why else would you come at this time of peril?" Boromir stared at her, and she opened her mouth several times, attempting to come up with a less frightening explanation. However no noise came from her opened mouth.

After several fruitless attempts at finding her voice, she sighed and shook her head, sitting back into her chair and bidding Elrond to continue. For several moments all eyes were on her, gazing at her in wonder, but then Elrond cleared his throat, and again he had their undivided attention.

The Elf Lord went on to tell them of the forging of the Great Rings, of Sauron, and of the fall of the Seven and the Nine. He told them of Isildur, and how he cut the Ring from Sauron's hand. He told them of the day the strength of Men failed. By the time he was finished, Donna no longer sat in blissful ignorance. She was very well educated as to why everyone was so upset over the little gold band that Bilbo found in the mountains, the little gold band that nearly cost Frodo his life when he was stabbed by the Morgul-knife.

As Lord Elrond finished his tale, Boromir stood, and said, ("Give me leave, Master Elrond, first to say more of Gondor, for verily from the land of Gondor I am come. And it would be well for all to know what passes there. For few, I deem, know of our deeds, and therefore guess little of the peril, if we should fail at last.")

He went on to speak of how the people of Gondor kept the wild folk of the East restrained, and the terror of Morgul kept at bay. He told them that the Enemy was regaining power, that Gondor was slowly pushed back, and that their allies were forsaking them one by one. It was not a pleasant tale, and Donna could see the worry in her new friend's eyes.

("In this evil hour I have come on an errand over many dangerous leagues to Elrond: a hundred and ten days I have journeyed all alone. But I do not seek allies in war. The might of Elrond is in wisdom, not in weapons, it is said. I come to ask for counsel and the unraveling of hard words. For on the eve of the sudden assault a dream came to my brother in a troubled sleep; and afterwards a like dream came oft to him again, and once to me.

("In that dream I thought the eastern sky grew dark and there was a growing thunder, but in the West a pale light lingered, and out of it I heard a voice, remote but clear, crying:

'"Seek for the Sword that was broken:

In Imladris it dwells;

There shall be councils taken

Stronger than Morgul-spells.

There shall be shown a token

That Doom is near at hand,

For Isildur's Bane shall waken,

And the Halfling forth shall stand."'

("Of these words, we could understand little, and we spoke to our father, Denethor, Lord of Minas Tirith, wise in the lore of Gondor. This only would he say, that Imladris was of old the name among the Elves of a far northern dale, where Elrond the Halfelven dwelt, greatest of lore-masters. Therefore my brother, seeing how desperate was our need, was eager to heed the dream and seek for Imladris; but since the way was full of doubt and danger, I took the journey upon myself. Loth was my father to give me leave, and long have I wandered by roads forgotten, seeking the house of Elrond, of which many had heard, but few knew where it lay.")

("And here at the house of Elrond more shall be made clear to you,") said Aragorn. He stood up, and put his sword on the table that stood in front of Elrond. The sword was broken in two. ("Here is the Sword that was Broken!" he said.) It was explained to Boromir, and thus to Donna, and to Frodo, that Aragorn was the descendant of Isildur. _That would explain why he wanders…I'd keep a low profile too if a bloodline like that hung over my head…_thought Donna, seeing the quiet Aragorn in a new light.

("Then it belongs to you, and not to me at all!" cried Frodo in amazement, springing to his feet, as if he expected the Ring to be demanded at once.)

("It does not belong to either of us," said Aragorn. "But it has been ordained that you should hold it a while.")

("Bring out the Ring, Frodo!") said the old, grey-robed man Donna understood to go by the name of Gandalf. ("The time has come. Hold it up, and then Boromir will understand the remainder of his riddle.")

They all watched as Frodo stepped forward. He seemed reluctant, and rather afraid. Donna could whole-heartedly relate to the poor fellow. Slowly, he reached into his pocket, and held up a small gold band, his hand trembling. Immediately, the feeling of unease Donna had been feeling grew much stronger. This was where her unease was comming from. But she was somehow relieved to find that it was not the Hobbit himself that made her nervous.

Boromir seemed at first to doubt that Aragorn was Isildur's heir, but he was quickly convinced, and he asked Aragorn to join him in Minas Tirith. Aragorn spoke of his life as a Ranger, what he had learned, and what he knew was to come.

("…But now the world is changing once again. A new hour comes. Isildur's bane is found. Battle is at hand. The Sword shall be reforged. I will come to Minas Tirith.") Donna gazed at him in wonder. He had lived an interesting life to say the least. She could see that he was very brave, and she understood why Arwen loved this man.

Once again, Boromir voiced his doubts. He needed proof that the ring that Frodo had shown was indeed the ring that had been cut from the Dark Lord's hand. He wanted to know how it passed down through so many years, to come to be in the possession of a Hobbit. Bilbo told of how he had taken it from the creature named Gollum, and then Frodo told of his dealings with the ring since Bilbo had given it to him. Frodo's story was interrupted several times with questions, and it was through these questions that Donna learned of the Nazguul. _Oh wonderful, I've landed myself in a world full of Grim Reapers! _thought the girl with dismay. She sunk down in her chair, fretting nervously with one of the long, belled sleeves of her dress. Noticing her distress, Boromir took her hand and whispered, "Fear not, my lady, you shall be kept safe. I will make sure of it." Donna smiled at him in thanks, but the smile was only skin deep. It was for his sake only, a way to appease him and keep him from being insulted. Inside, she knew that Boromir could do nothing to keep her safe. She could not allow herself to become close enough to him for that. She would have to learn to fend for herself, and hopefully she would be able to learn of how she could return to her own world.

Gandalf told of what he had learned from the creature Gollum. Aragorn had apparently tracked him down, bringing him to Gandalf for questioning, and then to Mirkwood, Legolas' home, where he would be imprisoned. He had learned that the Ring had given Gollum unnaturally long life.

("And if that is not proof enough,") said Gandalf. ("There is another test. Upon this very ring which you have here seen held aloft, round and unadorned, the letters that Isildur reported may still be read, if one has the strength of will to set the golden thing in the fire a while. That I have done, and this I have read: _Ash nazg durbatuluuk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluuk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul._") The Wizard's voice went through a great change, while most times his voice was strong and full of authority, now it was frightening and sinister. He spoke every word as if it burned his mouth. The Elves plugged their ears, and others trembled. Donna felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. The blood drained from her face, leaving her complexion pale and ashen. She felt her stomach turn, and she had to clasp a hand over her mouth to keep from being violently ill. Her head swam, and her now blood-shot eyes rolled back into her head. She did not remember falling.

* * *

Legolas was by her side in an instant. As he stopped his ears and fought the feeling of nausea, he saw that the girl did not know what to do. Her face went deathly pale, her eyes went blood-shot and rolled back into her head, and she swooned. He caught her just before she hit the hard stone floor. He held her small, cold form in his arms and looked up at Gandalf in disbelief, along with others, though several were at his side, worried for the woman's well-being. The Gondorian included, much to his displeasure. Elrond sat for a moment, his eyes closed, most likely fighting off the nausea that he and the other Elves had felt, then he glared at Gandalf, saying sternly, ("Never before has any voice dared to utter words of that tongue in Imladris, Gandalf the Grey.")

("And let us hope that none will ever speak it here again," answered Gandalf. "Nonetheless I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond. For if that tongue is not soon to be heard in every corner of the West, then let all put doubt aside that this thing is indeed what the Wise have declared: the treasure of the Enemy, fraught with all his malice, and in it lies a great part of his strength of old. Out of the Black Years come the words that the Smiths of Eregion heard, and knew that they had been betrayed: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.")

The girl woke as Gandalf finished his speech.

"Nngh…what the frig happened?" she murmured. Legolas looked down at her and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank Eru for small mercies! You became ill from Gandalf speaking the Black Tongue. But you seem to be alright now," said Legolas, easing her into a sitting position as the colour returned to her face. Gandalf looked down at her, and said, "Forgive me, my dear, I did not know that you would react as you did. If I had known I would have given you fair warning. However, I find it odd that you would be so strongly affected by it." Donna shrugged.

"I've been skittish from the beginning of the council, I think that was just the last nail in the coffin. Don't worry about it, I'm…whoa…" she wobbled on unsteady feet as she slowly rose. "I'll be all right." Legolas brought her over to the seat beside him, shooing Saelbeth away to sit by Boromir. Donna would have protested, but she still felt somewhat nauseous, and being close to Legolas calmed her, though she would not admit it. After Donna was settled, Gandalf continued.

("Know also, my friends, that I learned more yet from Gollum. He was loth to speak and his tale was unclear, but it is beyond all doubt that he went of Mordor, and there all that he knew was forced from him. Thus the Enemy knows now that the One is found, that it was long in the Shire; and since his servants have pursued it almost to our door, he soon will know, already he may know, even as I speak, the we have it here.")

Everyone sat silent, obviously mulling over what the Wizard had said. _Well, isn't that a cheery piece of info…_thought the girl bleakly. She subconsciously leaned a bit closer to Legolas, taking deep breaths. _Why does he smell so good? Probably an Elf thing._

Finally, Boromir spoke, asking what had become of Gollum after Gandalf had gotten all the information he could. Aragorn said that he was in Mirkwood being safely guarded, for he was still strongly affected by the Ring, and it made him cunning and malicious. That was when Legolas finally spoke.

("Alas! Alas!" he cried.) He looked distressed and ashamed as he went on to say, ("The tidings that I was sent to bring must now be told. They are not good, but only here have I learned how evil they may seem to this company, Sméagol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped.") He went on the explain how the cunning little beast had been allowed to climb up a large tree in fair weather, and of how one day he refused to come down, and the guards posted at the bottom of the tree to watch him were ambushed by orcs, and either taken away or killed.

Gandalf did not look at all pleased by the news, but he did not fuss over it. _But then why would he? No point in shooting the messenger, _thought Donna, glancing over at Legolas. He seemed to be deep in thought. Her heart went out to him of its own accord, he had lost some companions because of Gollum. She knew what that was like. However, she caught herself before she did anything rash, and looked away from the Elf before he went back to fretting over her.

Gandalf went on to tell them of the treachery of the White Wizard Saruman. From what she gathered, he was the "head honcho". The wisest and most powerful. All in all, it looked to her as if she had landed in a sand trap and was sinking fast. How she was going to get out, she had no idea. Lord Elrond was looking more deflated and tired with every passing moment, and she suspected there was more to it than the fact that they had sitting for over three hours. Then the trouble started. They sat for another two hours, trying to decide what to do with the Ring. Elrond would not take it for fear of the Ring taking hold of him, and Gandalf would not take it for the same reason. Boromir tried to talk them into using it as a weapon against Sauron, but that idea was shot down quickly. It seemed to Donna that Boromir was rather cynical, and untrusting of Lord Elrond. Every decision and statement he made, Boromir questioned. But then he did not know the Elves, and she could understand if he found them intimidating.

They argued for a good while, over who should take the Ring to Mordor. The Dwarves and the Elves seemed reluctant to let either race bare the Ring to Mordor. Donna was unsure whether it was because of distrust, or simply because one race did not want the other to have the glory. At one point even Bilbo volunteered to take the Ring, obviously craving the adventures he had been through in his younger days. However, Elrond quickly advised against it. It seemed to her a little too quickly, saying that he was getting rather old to be going on such a perilous quest. She had the feeling that there was more to it than that. She made a mental note to ask about it after she had eaten, and gotten some feeling back in her bottom. She decided that if she were stuck here, it was best that she learned all she could of the dangers that she might have to face. Finally, growing tired of the arguing, Frodo reluctantly stood.

("I will take the Ring," he said.) Donna watched him curiously. As he said those words, she could actually see the moment his heart broke. ("Though, I do not know the way.") Donna's heart filled with pity for the Hobbit. One so small should not have had to carry such a burden. All eyes turned to the Hobbit, and Elrond spoke.

("If I understand aright all that I have heard, I think that this task is appointed to you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will. This is the hour of the Shire folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it? Or, if they are wise, why should they expect to know it, until the hour has struck?

"But it is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another. I do not lay it on you. But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right; and though all the mighty elf-friends of old, Hador, and Huurin, and Tuurin, and Beren himself were assembled together, your seat should be among them.") _Sheesh, no pressure…_thought the girl, giving the Hobbit a sympathetic look. He looked up at her, and she did her best to smile at him with encouragement, and apparently it worked, for his face brightened to some extent.

("But you won't send him off alone surely, Master?" cried Sam.) He leapt out from behind some bushes, looking shockingly determined for one who was normally very timid.

("No indeed!" said Elrond, turning towards him with a smile. "You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.") Sam sat down next to Frodo, and muttered, ("A nice pickle we have landed ourselves in, Mr. Frodo!") Donna sighed, and looked on at the two Hobbits, completely amazed by them. _I know the feeling…that I do…

* * *

_

Several hours later, after eating and taking a long walk to get the circulation back into her legs, Donna was taken to Lord Elrond's office, along with Legolas. When they entered, Elrond was sitting behind his desk, and Gandalf sat in a chair in front of it, smoking a long-stemmed pipe. There were two more chairs set out for Legolas and herself. She must have looked nervous, for Elrond said with a smile, "No need to look so bleak lady Donna. One would think that you were being sent to the gallows!" She blushed and said, "I'm sorry Lord Elrond. I took in a lot of negative information at the council. I guess I'm flagging a bit."

"I thought you might be." He pushed a tray with two goblets on it towards her and Legolas. They both took them gratefully, finding that they drank warm, spiced wine. Donna sighed contentedly and sat back in her chair.

"Thank you so much. I think you're my new best friend, Lord Elrond," she said, smiling gratefully. Legolas gaped at her, but not wanting to make a scene, said nothing. Elrond chuckled and replied, "A warm drink is always good in the evening. Now that things have calmed down some, I thought that it would be a good time to discuss your situation. I thought it best for Prince Legolas to attend simply because he was the one who found you, and I imagine he shares your curiosity as to how you could have gotten here."

"Yes, I do," said Legolas intently.

"Well, I believe I may be able to answer your questions my dear, if my suspicions are correct," said Gandalf, catching her attention. She looked at him worriedly for a moment, and said nervously, "You're not going to speak that language again are you? I barely kept my breakfast down last time." Gandalf chuckled and replied, "No no, of course not. Now, Lord Elrond has repeated to me what you told him. You say that this tree you ran to, it had golden leaves, even though it was hollow?"

"Yes, although the leaves were sort of greenish gold…I never thought of how strange it was till I came here. I'd never seen a tree like that before, and I couldn't find any more like it in the woods that it lived in either," she explained thoughtfully.

"And it seemed that you could never find it when you tried to show it to your family, correct?" he asked.

"Yes. Once I thought I saw it, but then when I called…someone to come see, when I looked back, it was gone."

"Curious indeed," said the Wizard, tapping the mouth-piece of his pipe against his chin as he thought. "Forgive me if you think this strange, but could you look closely at me for a moment?" he asked. Donna complied, allowing the Wizard to bring his face rather close to hers, close enough that his bushy eye-brows were tickling her forehead. "Those are very interesting eyes you have, my dear." _All the better to see you with, my dear…_Donna chuckled. The three others in the room looked at her curiously.

"Ah, sorry, that reminded me of a bed-time story people tell where I come from. Don't mind me."

"No matter. Now, I fear I must ask a rather bold question…" said the Wizard, reaching for a book that lay open, face down on the table. He turned it right side up and showed her an image in the book. She gasped in surprise. "By any chance, do you have a birth-mark like this on your body anywhere?" he asked. The image was a symbol. The Mark of Infinity. Donna looked up at him in confusion.

"Y…yes…just above my tail-bone…" she said quietly. How could he have known? No one knew, except for Rita, her adopted mother, and she had taken that secret to the grave. Gandalf nodded knowingly.

"Just as I thought," said Gandalf, looking towards Elrond. "Shall you tell her? Or shall I?" Elrond looked from Gandalf to Donna several times, seeming to be as shocked as Donna herself.

"But how could it be? That trait died out centuries ago…she couldn't possibly be one of them…"

**A/N: Dun-dun-dun! How's that for a cliffy? I felt I needed some excitement after that long-winded chapter. That's my way to keep you all hooked! MWAHAHAHAHA! Don't forget to read and review!**


	7. Chapter 7: Mysteries Explained

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Sorry it took me so long to post this, my boss gave me a kitten, and he's kinda been distracting me. I named him Gimli. Anyway, to my wonderful (in one case slightly hostile) reviewers: **Fiona McKinnon-**Thank you very much! Enjoy! **Elven Stranger-** I never said I wasn't evil, lol. Enjoy! **Shero-** I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Hopefully you'll like this one too! **Gulwen­-**Wow, you liked it enough to review twice! Thank you! Enjoy! **Elvnchic9-**The orange munch-munch didn't criticise anything in particular. They just said that My fanfiction was terrible and that they hoped...uh...wait a sec...((checks the reviews))...they said they hoped the dead barbie dolls ate my computer. And they asked if they knew my foot was as long as my forearm. Interestingly enough, I checked and they were right. lol. Enjoy the new chapter! **Navaer Lalaith- **Ouch. Nothing like a good old brutally honest review to let some air out of my ego, lol. But hey, if I screw up my facts (or my elvish), I want people to let me know. Thanks! Hopefully I can improve the quality of my fic thanks to you! Hope you keep reading! **animebishieluver-** O.O...eep. Please don't hurt me. I updated! Consider yourself appeased! lol.

Great big hugs to everyone who reviewed!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Legolas or any other character you recognise. They belong to J.R.R. Tolkien and his associates. However, I do own Donna.**

Chapter 7

"I couldn't possibly be one of what?" asked Donna, looking from Elrond to Gandalf uncertainly.

"Can you say that for sure, my friend? Who is to say that one of them could not have went to her time, centuries ago?" said Gandalf to Elrond.

"One what?"

"Well, it is possible…but is it plausible?" Elrond replied.

"Who is to say? What is known about them is all based on theory and accounts from unreliable sources," said Gandalf. Donna sighed, wondering if she had suddenly become invisible. "Besides, with all the evidence, how can you have any doubt?"

"That is true," said Elrond, turning his attention back to Donna. "Tell me, Donna, how much of your past can you recall? What is your earliest memory?" Donna bowed her head, deep in thought, as memories of events long past came back to her minds eye.

* * *

_A small form limps out of an alley on the streets of downtown Toronto. During the day, it is a place of diversity and excitement, but at night, the demons come out to play. She wears nothing but a torn skirt, pantyhose and a beaded necklace, everything else is gone. Her face is bloodied and broken. People pass her, and see her tears, but none help her. She continues to limp on, using walls and posts for support when she can. _

_She looks about in confusion. She does not know where she is. She feels wave after wave of dizziness, it becomes harder to walk. She stumbles; her feet are numb from the cold. Cold, so cold…_

…_A bright light. _Am…I dead? The smell…antiseptic…a hospital…_The girl looks around. She is in a room with five other beds, three of them are occupied. _

"_So, you're up are ya?" The girl jumps and looks over to the corner of the room nearest to her. A plump woman wearing a waitresses uniform sits in a chair close by. Her dark red hair is pulled back into a ponytail, and she wears no makeup. She looks to be in her late forties._

"_Who…where…"_

"_Well, ain't you the talkative one? Let's start with somethin' simple: I'm Rita. What's your name?" _

"_I…it's…I can't remember…where am I?"_

"_You're at Toronto Western Hospital. I found ya unconscious on the street. You were half-frozen, an' it looked like some bastard beat the shit outta ya. Can you really not remember yur name? Can ya at least remember what happened to you?" The girl says nothing for some time. _

"_No…nothing…why can't I remember?"_

"_I wish I could tell ya hon, but I ain't no doctor. I'll go get him for ya. You sit right there, an' I'll be back!" The woman pats the girl's hand and leaves the room. _

_She looks down at herself. She wears a hospital gown, and an I.V. is sticking out of her right arm. She begins to fiddle with it, trying to get it out._

"_Don't do that. You'll bleed like a sonuvagun." The girl looks over at the man in the bed next to her. "That lady, Rita? She's been here since they brought you in the night before last. She's a mighty nice lady, once you get past her dirty mouth."_

"_Why thank you very much Earl!" The woman has come back with the doctor. He sits down next to the girl's bed._

"_Hello there. I'm Dr. Winter. How are you feeling?" He is a tall man, with salt and pepper hair and grey eyes. He removes the I.V. from her arm and checks her reflexes as he speaks with her. _

"_My mouth feels funny…"_

"_That does not surprise me. You lost two molars."_

"_Oh."_

"_What is your name?"_

"_I don't know." _

"_What's the last thing you can remember?"_

"_Someone yelling, and pain…then I was alone. And cold. It smelled bad. I walked for a while…then I fell, and I…I guess I went to sleep."_

"_There is no evidence of rape. However you had no identification, and your jacket and shoes were gone. What most likely happened is, you saw a robbery, and the criminals did not want to leave any witnesses. It happens often enough. People witness a homicide, and the trauma causes a case of hysterical amnesia. It usually only lasts a few weeks. What you're going to do in the mean time, I have no idea. Your vitals are fine, your bruises are healing surprisingly quickly. You will be discharged tomorrow." _

"_Ya mean you're just gonna throw her out on the street?" The girl looks from Rita to the doctor, the realization of what's going to happen to her slowly sinking in._

"_We need these beds for patients. This isn't a hotel."_

"_What the hell is she supposed to do?"_

"_That isn't my concern. Good day Ms. Cole." The doctor gets up and leaves. The man in the bed gestures rudely at the doctor's retreating back._

"_What am I supposed to do?" The girl looks from Earl to Rita unsurely._

"_Don't worry hon, I ain't gonna let them throw ya out on the street. You'll come home with me, and you can stay as long as you need."

* * *

_

"Donna?" She looked up at Elrond dazedly.

"Wha?…Oh…my earliest memory…ah, I can't really think of the exact moment…but I can remember back about fifty years," said Donna quietly.

"I see. And how old were you at the time?" asked Elrond.

"I don't know. Apparently I looked seventeen."

"I see. And is it normal for mortals to age as slowly as you do in your world?"

"No…they die very quickly." Her statement in itself was very simple. But the way she spoke, her voice so grim, Elrond knew that the girl was slowly being poisoned by grief. She had obviously been raised by mortals for as long as she could remember, and she had watched them age and pass on. At first he pondered why she did not die of her sorrow, but then it came to him. Her ears were only slightly pointed. At first glance it was difficult to tell. And she was small. She was only half Elf.

"Gandalf, I fear your theory is null. She is only half Elf. And the _Rendir_were barren. She could not be the child of one." said Elrond, looking at the Wizard with doubt.

"They were barren, yes, when they tried to bare the children of other Elves! There is no record of a _Randir _ever bonding with a mortal, so who is to say that a pairing between one of them and a mortal could not produce offspring?" said Gandalf.

Donna had had enough. She stood up and slammed her hands on the desk.

"DAMNIT! You keep talking like I'm not here! I was less confused when I came in! Would someone PLEASE tell me WHAT the HELL you're TALKING about?" Elrond and Legolas stared at her in shock.

"I beg your pardon, confusing you further was not the intention of this meeting. I will explain it to you now," said the Wizard, chuckling.

"Hallelujah!" she cried astringently, flopping back down in her chair.

"Ah-lay-loo-ya?" said Legolas with confusion.

"Don't even ask, I don't wanna stall this any longer!" Donna snapped. Legolas jumped and sidled away from her quietly, afraid of her temper.

"Centuries ago, sporadically, an Elf would be born with a very unique gift," said Gandalf. "They could see into other worlds, other dimensions, and some had the power to travel to these worlds at will. They could only be distinguished from other Elves by two traits: green eyes, and a birthmark shaped like the Mark of Eternity. They were called the _Rendir._" Donna stared at him for a moment, then snorted and said, "Please. Green eyes are common."

"In mortals perhaps, but in Elves, green eyes are unusual," replied Gandalf. Donna looked to Elrond, and he nodded in confirmation.

"Alright, I'll bite. What does that have to do with me?"

"I am getting to that. But first you need to understand more about these _Rendir._ You see, as rare as it was for one of these gifted Elves even to be born, it was rarer still that they would be able to control their abilities. More often, their powers would be controlled by emotion. When feeling emotions such as depression, or loneliness, they could sometimes cause rifts between worlds that only they could see, and only they could enter. In times of great distress, they could temporarily turn these rifts into portals, and be sent to other worlds. The problem was, they did not know how they did it, and so they would not know how to return. This is the reason little is known about them. They would often not even know that they were different until it was too late, and they disappeared. What I tell you now is a combination of theory and experiments by _Rendir _who COULD control their abilities.

"Now, you wonder how this concerns you, correct? It is very simple. I believe that one of your parents was one of the _Rendir _who could not control their powers. In a time of great distress, the _Rendir_ created a portal to your world, and was not able to return. Then by some turn of events, they fell in love with a mortal, and you came to be, inheriting your parent's abilities.

"Now, we get to you. Some event caused you to create a rift in time and space, making the mallorn tree appear in your world. You went to this place when distressed, and it brought you back to the world in which it originated. You could say that history repeated itself." Donna stared at the Wizard as all that he had said slowly registered.

"I see," said Donna, leaning back into her chair.

"'I see'? Is that all you have to say?" asked Gandalf.

"Ah…I suppose it would explain a lot of things…but…it's just so…I thought I was…" she trailed off, looking around the room. "Uh…I need to…do something…excuse me." With that, she got up and ran out of the room. Legolas rose to go after her, but Elrond said, "Let her go, Legolas. She needs time to think. What's more, we have things to discuss."

"We do? What do you wish of me, Lord Elrond?" asked Legolas curiously.

"I have decided that there will be nine in the company that journeys to Mordor. Nine walkers against the nine Riders. I wish you to represent the Elves on this mission."

**A/N: Okay, done. Sorry the chapter's shorter than usual, I've been a little distracted the past couple of days. I can't take my eyes off Gimli (the kitten, not the Dwarf) for a second! Sorry if the chapter's a bit boring...I'm not very happy with it, but the next one will be better, I promise. I'll either make Legolas stuff his foot in his mouth again, or I'll throw in an angsty situation. Don't forget to review!**


	8. A note from Lace

**Note from the Author: Hey everyone. Sorry, no new chapter this time. I'm afraid I'm rather busy between my job, school, and a play some guy suckered me in to being in. What it all boils down to is, I don't have a lot of time or energy for writing right now, so there probably won't be any new chapters for about a week. Also, I just wanted to let you know that after I post chapter 8, I plan to do a large amount of editing on the story thus far, so if you get bored waiting for chapter 9, you could go back and see what you think of the changes. Sorry for the inconvenience. **


	9. A small apology from Lace

**A small apology from Lace: **Alright, I'm really sorry to announce this, especially after being away for so long, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to put "To Heal a Wounded Elleth" on hiatus until further notice. I have started planning a new fanfic, and I would like to get started while the ideas are still fresh in my mind. Besides which, to be blunt, I've pretty much completely lost interest in this project, so there really isn't much point in even trying to continue until I get motivated again. But fear not, THAWE will not become a dead fic. It's just going into a coma for a while.


End file.
